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Paul Pogba claims he has been target of extortion from organised gang

French police reported to have opened investigation

Juventus player’s brother Mathias promised ‘revelations’

Paul Pogba has said he has been the target of extortion and threats from an organised gang.

The Juventus and France midfielder issued a statement signed by his lawyers, his mother, Yeo Moriba, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta. The news agency AFP said French police had opened an investigation, citing a source close to the case.

The statement came after Pogba’s brother Mathias posted a video online in four languages promising “great revelations” about the World Cup winner and Pimenta.

The statement said the videos were “unfortunately no surprise” and added: “They are in addition to threats and extortion attempts by an organised gang against Paul Pogba. The competent bodies in Italy and France were informed a month ago and there will be no further comments in relation to the ongoing investigation.”

Mathias Pogba said he believed “the French, Italian and English public, my brother’s fans, and even more the French national team, the Juventus team, my brother’s teammates and his sponsors deserve to know certain things”.

Paul Pogba: Juventus midfielder says he is target of organised gang

28 August 202228 August 2022.
European Football

Paul Pogba says he has been the target of extortion and threats from an organised gang.

The Juventus and France midfielder issued a statement through his lawyers on Sunday saying the matter had been reported to the authorities.

News agency AFP, citing a source, said French police had opened an investigation.

Earlier, Pogba's brother Mathias posted videos online promising to publish "great revelations" about the player.

Mathias Pogba said the information was likely to be "explosive", without giving further details.

"They are in addition to threats and extortion attempts by an organised gang against Paul Pogba," read the statement.

"The competent bodies in Italy and France were informed a month ago and there will be no further comments in relation to the ongoing investigation."

A World Cup winner with France in 2018, Pogba moved to Juventus on a free transfer this summer after leaving Manchester United.

In his videos, Matthias Pogba said the "whole world, as well as my brother's fans, and even more so the French team and Juventus, my brother's team-mates and his sponsors deserve to know certain things".

He said the revelations would also involve Pogba's agent, Rafaela Pimenta.

I didn’t ask witch doctor to charm Mbappe, my brother is involved – Pogba speaks on blackmail

Published on August 28, 2022
By Ifreke Inyang

Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba, informed police investigators that his brother, Mathias, is part of a concerted effort to blackmail him for €13m, according to France Info.

On Saturday night, Mathias in a clip posted on Twitter, claimed he was about to expose secrets about his brother, Kylian Mbappé and Rafaela Pimenta.

However, on Sunday, Paul Pogba’s camp released a statement confirming that French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the possible “attempted blackmail by an organised gang.”

During various interviews with the authorities, Paul Pogba is understood to have said that he was trapped by childhood friends and two hooded men armed with assault rifles during an incident in Paris.

A gang that demanded €13m from him, of which his brother Mathias Pogba would be a part. The 2018 world champion claims to be the victim of threats and attempted extortion from his older brother and childhood friends.

After this episode, the former Manchester United star approached his club’s lawyers who decided to notify the police.

During his police interviews, Paul Pogba insisted he never hesitated to help his childhood friends financially when they were in need. Until last January, when he kicked a friend out of his home in Manchester, after he used his credit card to steal €200,000 from him.

It is understood Mbappé is linked to the saga, because Paul Pogba claimed his blackmailers wanted to put further pressure on him to pay up by spreading false messages including that he would have asked a witch doctor from inside his family circle to cast a spell on Kylian Mbappé, which the player denied to be true.

Football star Paul Pogba tells French police he was held hostage by 'gang armed with ASSAULT RIFLES' who demanded £11million as part of long-running blackmail plot 'organised by his brother and friends'

• Paul Pogba is alleged to have told investigators that a gang targeted him with rifles and demanded £11m
• Judicial sources confirmed an investigation for 'attempted extortion in an organised gang' has been opened
• His brother ex-footballer Mathias, pledged to expose Paul on Saturday with 'explosive' revelations
• But the lawyer for his brother, 29, who has won the World Cup with France, has dismissed these claims

Football star Paul Pogba has reportedly told French authorities about an alleged plot to blackmail him by a gang that dragged him to a Paris apartment in March and demanded £11m as they threatened him with assault rifles.

The 29-year-old, who has won the World Cup with France, said the men - organised by his own brother Mathias - wanted the money for 'protection services' stretching back 13 years and also followed him to Manchester.

The two armed men told Pogba that they 'protected him discreetly' during a period that spanned more than a decade, including during two spells at Manchester United, the last of which ended earlier this year.

Judicial sources in Paris confirmed on Sunday that an investigation for 'attempted extortion in an organised gang' has been opened.

On Sunday night a source close to the case told the Franceinfo news outlet that Pogba’s ‘big brother and childhood friends’ are all named as suspects.

It come after his brother Mathias, who had spells in English football at Wrexham, Crewe and Crawley Town, promised to reveal 'explosive' information about his better-known sibling in a bizarre video published on Twitter, shortly after joining the platform, on Saturday night.

But last night, Mathias denied the claims in a furious Twitter outburst. He wrote: 'Paul, you really wanted to shut me up completely to lie and send me to prison, I suspected it now it's true, my version of the facts happens and unlike you.'

Last night, a judicial source said: 'Investigators from the Central Office of Judicial Police Combating Organised Crime that he was trapped by childhood friends, and two hooded men armed with assault rifles.'

Pogba said the gang wanted €13m – the equivalent of £11m – and had been threatening him for four months.

Acts of intimidation were carried out in Manchester in April, and later around the Italian city of Turin, where Pogba currently plays for Juventus.

The gang is also said to have taken Pogba to flat in the Paris suburb of Lagny-sur-Marne, where Pogba grew up, at the end of March.

There, the gang members accused Pogba of not helping them financially since he became a professional player.

During police interviews, Paul Pogba said he had always been close to his childhood friends and helped them out financially when he could.

But in January he kicked one out his house in Manchester after discovering that the unidentified man had used Pogba's credit card to steal €200,000 – the equivalent of £170,000.

Paul Pogba was born and raised in Lagny-sur-Marne along with two brothers – Mathias and Florentin, both of whom also play football professionally.

Mathias took to social media this weekend to promise 'explosive revelations' about his brother.

'The French, English, Italian and Spanish public - in other words, the whole world - as well as my brother's fans, and even more so the French team and Juventus, my brother's team-mates and his sponsors deserve to know certain things,' he said.

'In order to make an informed decision if he deserves the admiration, respect and love of the public.

'If he deserves his place in the French team and the honour of playing in the World Cup. If he deserves to be a starter at Juventus.

'If he is a trustworthy person, that any player deserves to have at his side.'

Pogba also addressed his brother's agent and lawyer, Rafaela Pimenta. Pimenta has taken over the handling of Paul Pogba's career following the death of his former agent, Mino Raiola, in April.

Mathias Pogba has questioned her ability to hold the position.

He stated that he would let fans and players know about 'her integrity, her professionalism... her loyalty' so that they could decide whether she 'deserves to represent them.'

Pogba concluded his video by referencing Kylian Mbappe, declaring he has 'important things' to say about the 23-year-old.

'I will tell you very important things about him and there will be elements and many testimonies to confirm my words,' Pogba said of Mbappe. 'Everything could be explosive and make a lot of noise.'

Paul Pogba's lawyers, Yeo Moriba - who is also his mother - and Pimenta have since responded to Mathias's threats.

'Mathias Pogba's recent statements on social networks are unfortunately not a surprise,' they said. 'They are in addition to threats and organised extortion attempts against Paul Pogba.'

According to two sources close to the Pogba family contacted by AFP, large sums of money are being demanded from Paul Pogba if he wants to avoid the dissemination of the allegedly compromising videos.

Pogba also explained to investigators that his blackmailers wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a marabout, a holy man, to cast a spell on the Paris Saint-Germain and France star, Mbappe, which Pogba denies.

Later this evening, Mathias also took to Twitter after the reports in French media to take aim at his brother and say: 'My little brother is finally starting to show his true face.'

Paul Pogba won the World Cup with France in 2018, returned to Juventus on a free transfer this summer after six years at Manchester United, and is currently sidelined with a knee injury.

He is expected to return to action next month. Pogba is married to the Bolivian model, Maria Zulay Salaues, and they have two children together.