For a week, Mathias Pogba, 34, has been at the heart of palpable tension, dressed in a charcoal gray suit, his presence in the front row of the Paris court betrays the stress to which he is subject. His trial concerning allegations of kidnapping and extortion against his brother, the famous footballer Paul Pogba, plunged him into a disturbing light, where he watched the five other co-defendants attempt to exonerate themselves with efforts that left one desire.
When Mathias finally spoke on Tuesday, December 3, it was to defend the incendiary videos that he had published on social networks in August 2022. In these clips, he had issued very clear warnings to his brother, suggesting that he had revelations likely to destroy the football star’s career. Ahead of the trial, Mathias had exerted incessant pressure on Paul and their mother, forcing the footballer – then at Juventus in Turin – to satisfy a demand for 13 million euros allegedly made by armed associates on the night of 19 March 2022.
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Was it deep-seated jealousy that pushed Mathias to act against his brother’s thriving career? Or was he simply naive, trapped by stories spread by acquaintances of a supposed armed incursion by thugs? This theme resonated throughout the trial as the various defendants struggled to give credence to their statements about anonymous assailants interrupting an ordinary gathering, allegedly not intended to force Paul to pay a significant sum.
The prosecution’s story was simple: Mathias, driven by anger and betrayal, had accepted his friends’ assertions that Paul had acquiesced in paying a ransom. This betrayal fueled his resentment: he was in contact with a group of friends from their old neighborhood in Roissy-en-Brie, who felt neglected by their famous brother. Their grievances resonated with those of Mathias, particularly because his football star brother had repeatedly refused to provide him with financial assistance during difficult times.
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Mathias presents himself as the underachieving brother of this fraternal duo. Discovered at the age of 11, he and his twin, Florentin, were enrolled in a sports-study school before being spotted by Celta Vigo in Spain. Unfortunately, Mathias’ talent was never up to par, leading him to play for Quimper in Brittany and move on to lower division clubs across England, Italy and Spain. He briefly donned the national colors of Guinea before changing course to become a sports commentator and co-owner of a hair salon with Florentin. Over the years, he has become accustomed to receiving financial assistance from Paul, who is among the elite players on the international scene.
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