• “She is the backbone of the family and her mental health was shattered”

In a shocking and deeply emotional revelation, French international Paul Pogba, midfielder for AS Monaco, has broken his silence—not to discuss his past sporting suspension or his return to football, but to speak about what he described as the “deepest scar” left by the infamous extortion case involving his brother Mathias Pogba. A wound that did not affect him directly, but instead severely impacted the health and mental well-being of their mother, Yeo Moriba.

Family shock in the spotlight

In his latest appearance on a podcast with former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Pogba struggled to hold back emotion while reflecting on the wider consequences of the family dispute.

Now attempting to rebuild both his professional and personal life, Pogba described how his mother—widely regarded as the “pillar of the family”—became an indirect but primary victim of the crisis.

The former Juventus and Manchester United star explained that she endured extreme psychological pressure as tensions between her sons escalated into a highly public and damaging legal and media storm.

Pogba revealed alarming details about her condition, stating that she “lost significant weight” due to ongoing stress and constant anxiety over her children, who became divided between “victim” and “accused.”

Parents as the real victims

With clear bitterness, Pogba highlighted a harsh reality: family conflicts between siblings, especially when they reach courtrooms and public scandals, do not remain confined to those directly involved, but “spill over in a devastating way onto the parents.” He noted that a mother’s greatest wish is unity among her children, and that the situation effectively destroyed that hope and her emotional world.

Background of the case

These remarks come shortly after the French legal system closed a chapter on the high-profile case that shook the sporting world. Mathias Pogba, Paul’s elder brother, was sentenced to a suspended prison term after being found guilty of involvement in an organised extortion attempt targeting the football star.

Although Mathias has completed his sentence and recently expressed support for Paul following his return to football after a long absence due to injury and suspension, Pogba’s latest comments underline that the emotional wounds within the family remain unresolved, and that the cost of the scandal went far beyond any financial demands.