Paul Pogba is, little by little, getting his head above water. His suspension for doping reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October – instead of 4 years initially – and his physical problems resolved, all that remains is for him to close the page on this extortion attempt from which he was a victim on March 19, 2022 in the Paris suburbs. A case which involves his brother, Mathias, and which is the subject of a correctional hearing from Tuesday.
A nightmarish summer of 2022
In the summer of 2022, Paul Pogba tries to revive his career by returning to play for Juventus Turin, six years after leaving Italy for Manchester United for 105 million euros. The French midfielder arrives free in Piedmont after a very complicated last season with the Red Devils, marked in particular by several injuries.
But his situation did not improve since at the end of July, during a pre-season American tour with the Old Lady, he suffered a “lateral meniscus lesion” of the right knee, four months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar.
For more than a month, a big doubt remained as to his participation – he finally withdrew since he decided to have an operation – but another news concerning him will hit the headlines. Mathias Pogba publishes, on August 27, 2022, a lunar video in which he threatens to “ explosive revelations » on his younger brother and his agent since the death of Mino Raiola in April, Rafaela Pimenta, but also on Kylian Mbappé.
The next day, press information ensured that Paul Pogba was the victim of an “organized gang extortion attempt” and that an investigation was opened by the courts.
On the night of March 19 to 20, 2022, “La Pioche” said he was kidnapped in Montévrain (Seine-et-Marne) by two hooded men demanding the sum of 13 million euros from him. If the latter have never been identified, five men described as relatives appear this Tuesday, November 26 before the Paris criminal court for “extortion”, “attempted extortion”, “kidnapping and sequestration” and “criminal association “. Mathias Pogba, absent on the night of the events, is accused of “attempted extortion” and “criminal association”.
“Money changes people, that’s the truth, money can break up a family, start war”Pogba declared, regarding the robbery, to the channel Al Jazeera. “The only people who can hurt you are your loved ones. The enemies, you know where they are, but the friends, the family, the ones you think are happy for you, they can destroy you. »
Ten days after this nightmarish episode, Paul Pogba came into play with the France team for a friendly match against South Africa. He doesn't know it yet but this is, for the moment, his last appearance with the Blues.
Positive doping control
Difficult to imagine that Paul Pogba could fall even lower, he, the star footballer world champion in 2018. Recovered from his knee injury, he must stop for a month again in March 2023 after an injury to his right thigh . Pogba was only beginning to find his bearings when he injured his left thigh in mid-May 2023 and saw his season come to an end… He would only play 108 minutes during the 2022-2023 season. Which means nothing at all. And fate will continue to persist.
Pogba was part of the Juventus squad that began the Serie A championship the following year against Udinese. In poor physical condition, he was left on the bench by his coach Massimiliano Allegri and witnessed his team's victory (3-0). Having not entered the game, he was still summoned for a doping control after the match. Testing positive for testosterone, a substance he swears he ingested involuntarily, the midfielder was provisionally suspended on September 11, 2023 by Nado (the equivalent in Italy of the French Anti-Doping Agency) before the sanction does not fall in February 2024: four years of ban on setting foot on the grounds.
Pogba appealed the decision which was ultimately reduced to 18 months. He should be able to play football again from March 2025 but not at Juventus, who chose to terminate his contract. But perhaps elsewhere to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
