Four years after the World Cup in Russia, Paul Pogba won a second star – less glorious than the first – with his “Pogmentary”: the documentary broadcast by Prime Video was rated one star out of ten on the IMDb specialized site. The unofficial second season that takes place on the court ground barely flies higher. And its trailer, broadcast in four languages by the older brother Mathias, exudes amateurism. The synopsis promises revelations about the midfielder of Juventus which are limited for the moment to the presumed “millions” slammed by the Pickaxe on a marabout whom he would have instructed to cast a spell on Kylian Mbappé for reasons… obscure.
For his part, the former Red Devil filed a complaint in France, where an investigation was opened on August 3 from the head of extortion in an organized gang, and in Italy. The 29-year-old midfielder said he was trapped by childhood friends and two hooded men armed with assault rifles accusing him of not helping them financially. A sum of 13 million euros would have been claimed from him, and he claims to have paid 100,000 euros.
When the seagulls follow the trawler…
“What happened with the Pogba family is very simple, according to agent Franck Belhassen. They were watered down for a while until the death of Paul’s historical agent, Mino Raiola. Today, it is rumored that the lawyer has taken everything in hand and recommends not to spray anyone. It’s commonplace: we have a cow and she has to give as much milk as possible to everyone. Unfortunately, it turned out like this. »
An observation that is unanimous in the middle. Professional footballers are, whatever their level, easy prey. Only the animal metaphor changes from one interlocutor to another. Antoine Kombouaré, Nantes coach: “When you earn so much money, there are so many vultures around. Whether it’s the family circle, the first circle, as they say, agents, advisers… You can’t imagine the pressure that guys are under. Nor the number of people they can meet through professional imperatives, mathematically increasing the chances of falling on malicious people.
To avoid falling into the trap, Philippe Veber, lawyer in charge of the affairs of several L1 players, intends to empower his clients as much as possible. “The key to everything is that he takes an interest in his business and has control over it. He needs to stop giving proxies right and left. When there is a contract, a payment to be made, it is he who must do it. It’s neither his father, nor his mother, nor his agent, nor his lawyer, it’s him. ” Badou Sambague, sports attorney (in particular of Sékou Mara) has meanwhile signed a charter “for players and families. This charter has a moral value, so that the positioning of each of the parties is respected and makes it possible to ensure that the image and interests of the player are preserved. The fact that all of this is signed makes it possible to refer to the charter when there is an oversight, a small absence or a difficulty that arises. »
The previous Adebayor
But basically, there is no guarantee when the source of the problem is family. Veber: “The ’emotional blackmail’ and family closeness sometimes make it impossible to resist. » The Pogba cases but also Adebayor are the perfect illustration of what can happen. Long before the tricolor international, the Togolese had published a letter in 2015 in which he recounted the conflicting relations within his siblings.
A few years ago, wrote Adebayor, I bought a house for $1.2 million in Ghana. I found it normal to put my big sister Yabo Adebayor in this house, as well as my half-brother Daniel. A few months later, I returned from vacation and noticed that there were a lot of cars in front of the house. The truth is, my sister rented the house without telling me. She also kicked Daniel out of the house. Imagine that this house had about 15 bedrooms. »
“When I called her to discuss it, he continued, she insulted me on the phone for 30 minutes. My mother also did the same. This same sister says that I am ungrateful. Ask her about the car she drives or anything she sells today. »
Often, family histories are surprising because they relate to seemingly united clans. Since the beginning of “Poggate”, the images of the three brothers who follow the dance steps in joy and happiness burst out, and ring false. “Basically, the Pogba affair is not a problem of family relations, it’s a problem of money,” said Belhassen. It’s the truth. When Ettori says that Mathias Pogba was taken to Tours in exchange for a friendly match from Paul to Tours and a salary paid by his brother, it’s the truth. He doesn’t talk bullshit. It makes noise because it’s family. But basically, the trigger is always money. » The ransom of glory. Literally.