‘I was everyone’s puppet’ – Paul Pogba’s brother claims alleged kidnappers tricked him

AFP reports that Matthias Pogba has told the judge responsible for overseeing the investigation into the 2022 kidnapping of his brother Paul Pogba (31) that he was “e veryone’s puppet ,” and that he was “p assed around from left to right, ” and “ was lied to from the start .” 

On the 22nd of March 2022, Paul Pogba was kidnapped and robbed in Paris by two unidentified men who demanded to be paid €13 million. At the time, he was with three childhood friends and two acquaintances from the neighbourhood where he grew up. 

Those present with Pogba were later indicted for their alleged role in organising the extortion and kidnapping of the World Cup winner, but have strongly denied these allegations claiming they were victims alongside the player. 

Pogba’s brother, Matthias, who was not present at the kidnapping, was also indicted for providing “ active assistance ” as he was said to have contacted his brother several times after the event to convince him to pay. 

On the 25th of January, the magistrate revealed messages sent from Pogba’s childhood friend’s phones that the investigation alleges set out to organise the night in question . AFP reports that Matthias was taken aback by the news, “ They’re like brothers to us. They come and tell me all this as if they were victims when everything was already orchestrated. ” 

In the summer of 2022, Matthias publicly called out his brother when he published videos on Twitter stating that Paul had lied to the police and that he had an “i nsurance video held in a safe place .” Matthias claims that he was at no point putting pressure on his brother, but was instead “l etting out his rage .” 

GFFN | Nick Hartland