Paul Pogba, the former Manchester United luminary, recently opened up about his experiences overcoming adversity, particularly reflecting on the distressing extortion ordeal involving his brother. Pogba expressed a deep desire to emerge stronger from these challenges as he continues his journey in football.
The saga began when Pogba’s elder brother, Mathias, was convicted in December 2024 for attempting to extort the World Cup-winning midfielder. The court sentenced Mathias to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended. Although he avoided incarceration, Mathias must wear an electronic tag for a year and pay a fine of £16,500.
Returning to the football scene with Monaco last summer, Pogba shared his perspective: “It’s the football,” he stated, highlighting the sport’s role in his life. He emphasized the complexities of familial bonds, saying, “Family is family. You have differences, but it’s always going to be your family.”
Pogba candidly acknowledged the difficulty of stepping away from football under such circumstances. He remarked on how quickly perceptions can change when people hear rumors and prefer headlines over the truth. “People really change, you know? They hear something and don’t want to know the real story because they read only the newspaper,” Pogba reflected, shedding light on the challenge of navigating public opinion.
‘The family, family, you have differences and it’s always going to be your family, you know.
Paul Pogba has spoken of the impact of the bitter feud within his family over recent years
The former Man United star admitted the bitter feud with his brother Mathias had been a ‘tough’ period
Mathias Pogba was found guilty in an extortion case that targeted his brother Paul back in 2024
‘That was tough, but to be out of, like, football and the way that I was out, you know, like when people really change, you know, they, or they hear something and they don’t want to know the real story because they read only the newspaper.
‘They see all this doping, positive, testosterone. They don’t want to know the real story. So they just read that and that’s it. And they have this, they put this in their head.’
The case emerged when Pogba was playing for Juventus, having left Manchester United as a free agent in 2022.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport in 2024, Pogba admitted he had been open to joining their rivals Man City prior to signing for Juventus, but determined he needed to leave the city after a burglary at his Manchester home and the extortion attempt.
Along with Pogba’s brother Mathias, five other men were found guilty in the extortion case in 2024 and received custodial sentences ranging from four to eight years.
Pogba had filed a complaint in March 2022 after he was kidnapped and robbed by two unidentified masked and armed men, who demanded €13million (£10.98m) for ‘protection services’.
Five people close to the World Cup winner were said to have ‘meticulously prepared’ a meeting which ended with Pogba being kidnapped.
After the original threat, the group were said to repeatedly intimidate Pogba and claim that he didn’t support them after becoming an international star in order to get him to pay.
Five people close to the World Cup winner were said to have ‘meticulously prepared’ a meeting which ended with Pogba being kidnapped
Pogba’s mother Yeo attended her son Mathias’ trial at the Paris Criminal Court
Reports in the French media revealed how Pogba told investigators that the alleged extortionists were attempting to discredit him by making a series of claims.
This included Mathias claiming Pogba had hired a witch doctor to put a spell on his France team-mate Kylian Mbappe, while he also accused him of having ‘abandoned’ his family. Pogba denied the claims.
During the investigation, Pogba revealed he had paid €100,000 (£84,423) to the organised group.
Pogba told Ferdinand that the support of his mother Yeo had been crucial to helping him through the past couple of years.
‘She’s the pillar of the family, she’s always there,’ Pogba said. ‘I only have one mum, you know, I lost my dad. So, obviously, for her to hear all these stories, it was tough for her, really tough.
‘She was always there and being a mother, you know, she was there and giving me strength, my family giving me strength, my wife, my kids, seeing them helped me a lot.
Pogba admitted the feud between him and his brother had taken its toll on their mother, after being asked by Ferdinand how she coped with being between two people she loves.
Pogba admitted the case had taken its toll on their mother, who he thanked for her support over a difficult few years
‘To make it short, she gained weight and she lose weight, that’s how difficult it was,’ Pogba said.
‘Because, you know, when brothers argue and stuff like that, the first person that is touched is the parents, you know. So it was, it was difficult for my mother.
‘Obviously, and you have to be there for her, you know, like life goes fast.
‘We know that maybe I made a mistake. My brother knew he made some mistakes. But at the end, it’s our mother and you have to make her happy.’
Pogba, 33, is currently playing for Ligue 1 side Monaco as he looks to rebuild his career after his 18-month doping ban, a period he previously described to Daily Mail Sport as ‘hell’.
The midfielder has been restricted to just four appearances, totalling just 51 minutes, due to a series of injury problems.
Head to the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel to watch the full interview live from 8am on Wednesday 22nd April.
