Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey caught in alleged extortion case as friend is shot | OneFootball

Brian Brobbey has propelled Sunderland’s unexpected rise while living through an alleged extortion plot in Amsterdam that left a friend shot, according to NY Times. The 24-year-old is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Signed from Ajax last summer for £21.5 million, the striker has five goals in 17 outings. Sunderland sit 11th after 26 matches and remain in contention for Europe.

The saga began in December 2022 at Amsterdam’s Valhalla festival, when local criminal Jeymon A told Brobbey he had fixed a supposed threat and sought payment. Weeks later, fireworks were pushed through a relative’s letterbox, an explosive was thrown at his car in March, and his sister-in-law’s vehicle was burned in April.

After a meeting in July 2023, Jeymon A opened fire on Brobbey’s childhood friend, a bullet hitting his buttock and piercing his small intestine. The friend survived surgery. A later message demanded €150,000 by month-end, warning of consequences. There is no evidence Brobbey paid, and no further violence followed.

Ajax learned of the situation only after the shooting, involved detectives and offered support, though Brobbey kept it private. Police seized his phone at Schiphol in October 2023.

Jeymon A was jailed for nine years in September 2024 for directing drug dealers, then handed another term of at least 10 years in November for attempted manslaughter, firearms offences and possession of 1.6 kilograms of MDMA. He was not charged with extortion. Brobbey has settled at Sunderland, but the personal toll remains unclear.

Source: NY Times