Wayne Lumbasi
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba says he has been the victim of extortion and threats from an organised gang, which includes his brother. Mathias Pogba had previously posted a video online where he claimed he would release information about Paul which would affect his sibling’s popularity around the world.
Mathias added that people needed to know what he knew to judge whether his brother “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”.
Pogba is reported to have told detectives that the group demanded €13 million and accused him of not supporting them financially ever since he became a professional football player. He also said that he frequently encountered his suspected blackmailers in April in Manchester and again in July at the Juventus training facility in Turin.
The group also attempted to discredit the French international by falsely claiming that Paul asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on Kylian Mbappé, something Pogba vehemently denies.
The Juve star told investigators he was always eager to lend a hand to his boyhood buddies. He asserted that he had a disagreement with one of them only once, in January. When the football player discovered his friend had stolen £170,000 using his credit card, he forced him out of his Manchester home.
Pogba returned to Juventus on a free transfer this summer after six years at Old Trafford, and is currently sidelined with a knee injury. The 29-year-old is expected to return to action next month.
