Pogba’s mother says Juventus star is ‘recovering’ from extortion trauma

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is ‘starting to recover psychologically’ from the kidnapping and extortion plot, said his mother, who also stood up for his brother Mathias.

The France international is missing the World Cup in Qatar due to injury and is yet to play a competitive match for the Bianconeri since his return from Manchester United.

However, the last few months have also been dominated by the police investigation into an extortion attempt that even saw him kidnapped at gunpoint in a Paris apartment.

“Paul is starting to recover little by little psychologically,” Pogba’s mother Yeo Moriba told French programme Sept a Huit. 

“This affair tormented him. He didn’t tell us right away that he had been kidnapped. Nobody knew, his brothers weren’t aware either.”

Paul’s brother Mathias was accused of participating in the extortion plot, especially after posting videos on social media threatening to reveal ‘the truth’ about his sibling.

Mathias was arrested, but his family continued to believe he was also a victim of the gang.

“He was being threatened, he is not like that, I know him, I can swear,” assured their mother. 

“Before leaving for Guinea, I spoke with him once. I told him he shouldn’t do the videos, but I felt he was taken aback. 

“Mathias is nice. For me, my two sons are victims and that torments me. Mathias was manipulated, threatened… I’m worried about him, he’s my son, he doesn’t know about crime.”