Six individuals, including Mathias Pogba, the brother of French midfielder Paul Pogba, are set to stand trial on Tuesday at the Paris criminal court. They face charges of blackmail, attempted extortion of millions of euros, and allegedly holding the footballer at gunpoint.

The case, which has sent shockwaves through the French football community, involves three of Pogba's childhood friends alongside his brother. It unfolds as Pogba grapples with professional challenges, including the termination of his Juventus contract following a doping suspension that runs until March 2025.

The defendants are accused of attempting to extort €13 million ($13.5 million) from Pogba. The situation became public in August 2022 when Mathias released videos on social media, claiming he had explosive revelations about his younger brother. In one video, Mathias accused Paul of using witchcraft to curse his France teammate Kylian Mbappé.

Paul Pogba's legal team and agent, Rafaela Pimenta, condemned the videos, describing them as part of ongoing threats and extortion attempts. Pogba had already lodged criminal complaints in Italy and France in July 2022, preceding the public fallout.