Last July, Paul Pogba made his return to Juventus with a big smile on his face while greeted by his ecstatic supporters.
But little did we know at the time that the Frenchman had been dealing with some major personal problems for quite some time.
The midfielder has been the victim of an alleged extortion orchestrated by his own brother and some of his childhood fans.
Horrifying reports later revealed that the midfielder was threatened and kidnapped at gun point by hooded individuals, asking him for 13 million euros for their services as his personal “protectors”.
For his part, one of the Pogba’s old friends, called Boubacar Camara was questioned by the investigators, and he revealed that the 29-year-old was ready to quit football following the kidnapping incident.
“In his first season in Italy I lived with him for most of the year, then I left because my son was born,” Camara told investigators as reported by Le Journal de Dimanche via Calciomercato.
“The day after the kidnapping, I saw Paul Pogba sitting in bed absorbed in thought in a Paris hotel.
“He was crying and struggling to speak. He told me he was kidnapped by hooded and armed men, who asked him for 13 million euros.
“Then he confessed to me that he wanted to disappear, he didn’t want to play football anymore.
“He was afraid for his family. Now he doesn’t trust anyone anymore, but I’m innocent and a victim just like him.”
Luckily, Pogba has been able to bounce back after seeking help from authorities, and Juventus fans hope to have him back in an optimal physical and mental condition once he fully recovers from a meniscus injury.
