WHAT TO KNOW: Paul Pogba’s brother Mathias sentenced to three years in prison after court finds him guilty of plot to extort ex-Man Utd and Juventus star….see more

A brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba was sentenced to three years in prison — two of which are suspended — by a Paris criminal court Thursday in an extortion and kidnapping case.

Mathias Pogba has already spent time in detention and the remainder of the sentence will be served under house arrest with electronic monitoring. This sentence was in line with the prosecution’s request.

His lawyer said he would likely appeal the ruling. “He is in a state of shock. From the outset, he has maintained his innocence,” lawyer Mbeko Tabula said. “They did not not take into account the fact that he has been manipulated, the fact that he has been forced to do things beyond his control.”

The case in court took place without the former Manchester United and Juventus player.

A judge ordered Mathias Pogba and five other men to stand trial following an investigation into whether Paul Pogba was the target of extortion by Mathias and childhood friends in 2022.