Juventus star Paul Pogba says he’s the target of extortion by ‘gang,’ responds to threats made by his brother

Paul Pogba says he’s the target of extortion and responded to threats made by his brother on Sunday. The France international has issued a statement in response to brother Mathias’ comments on social media as investigations are ongoing in both France and Italy into potential extortion by a “gang.” The Juventus midfielder responded to his sibling on Sunday after the former ASM Belfort player issued threats on Saturday.

“The recent declarations of Mathias Pogba on social media are unfortunately not a surprise,” said Paul Pogba in a statement, according to ESPN. “They are coming after threats and attempts of extortion by an organized gang against Paul Pogba. This has been referred to the appropriate authorities both in Italy and in France a month ago.”

The statement came less than 24 hours after older brother Mathias alleged that his younger brother is hiding things away from the pitch: “The whole world deserves to know certain things so the public can decide if he really deserves the admiration, the respect, his place in the France team, if he is a trustful person and worth representing the world’s youth, working-class areas and big brands.”

What is going on?

According to France Info, Paul Pogba is the subject of a $13 million blackmail attempt by a “gang” which the Juventus man’s brother Mathias is allegedly associated with. Mathias’ social media foray brought the issue to public attention and hinted at revelations about his brother, which included Kylian Mbappe and representative Rafaela Pimenta. Paul Pogba has since confirmed that he is currently the subject of a blackmail attempt, alleging his brother’s involvement and that the French authorities are investigating. Mathias Pogba claims that his brother has lied to Italian authorities, who are also aware of the situation.

Why is it happening?

Paul Pogba alleges that he was trapped by childhood friends and two hooded and armed men in Paris when he was asked for $13 million by a gang. He has told investigators that he has been intimidated several times since the initial incident, notably at Juve’s training ground in Turin and that he recognized his brother among the suspects.

In late March, Paul Pogba visited family in Lagny-sur-Marne while on international duty with France against the Ivory Coast and South Africa and the 29-year-old alleges that he was dragged to an apartment and accused of ignoring his childhood friends since turning professional. Two armed men proceeded to demand around $13 million and claimed that they had been discreetly protecting him for the past 13 years.

According to Paul Pogba, he has seen his aggressors since then in both Manchester and Turin with his brother Mathias recognized in Italy. Paul and Mathias’ relationship is said to be strained and this episode prompted the younger Pogba to inform Juve’s legal department who opted to inform the authorities.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner told investigators that he has maintained close links with his childhood friends and never once refused to offer financial help to those in difficulty. He alleged that he kicked a friend out of his property in Manchester when he realized that his credit card had been used to extract $200,000.

Why was Kylian Mbappe mentioned?

According to France Info, Pogba has alleged that his blackmailers wanted to tarnish his name and heap public scrutiny upon him by spreading lies including an attempt to cast a spell on the Paris Saint-Germain and France man through a witch doctor. Pogba has denied this.

What does this mean for Paul Pogba?

Currently injured, the Juve man will continue to work his way back to full fitness while the investigation rumbles on. The fact that it involves multiple countries could complicate matters, but the French side of things will likely take years to resolve if it ends up going to court, which was the case with the high-profile sex tape court case featuring both Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena.