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French police open investigation into footballer Paul Pogba’s claims of extortion

  • Pogba’s allegations came after his brother Mathias published a bizarre video online promising ‘great revelations’ about the Juventus star
  • According to sources, €13 million is being demanded from Paul Pogba if he wants to avoid the dissemination of allegedly compromising videos

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Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba claims he is being threatened and targeted for extortion by gangsters. Photo: AFP

French police have opened an investigation into World Cup winner Paul Pogba’s claims he is being threatened and targeted for extortion by gangsters, a source close to the case told Agence France-Presse on Sunday.

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Pogba’s allegations came after his brother Mathias published a bizarre video online – in four languages (French, Italian, English and Spanish) – promising “great revelations” about the Juventus star.

A statement signed by his lawyers, his mother Yeo Moriba and current agent Rafaela Pimenta said that the videos published on Saturday night “are unfortunately no surprise”.

France’s Paul Pogba in action during the Uefa Nations League match between Germany and France in 2018. Photo: DPA
France’s Paul Pogba in action during the Uefa Nations League match between Germany and France in 2018. Photo: DPA

“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.”

Mathias Pogba, 32, promised “great revelations about (his) brother Paul Pogba and his agent Rafaela Pimenta”, who took over as head of the company of former agent Mino Raiola who died in April.

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He said the “whole world, as well as my brother’s fans, and even more so the French team and Juventus, my brother’s teammates and his sponsors deserve to know certain things”.

Also a professional footballer, Mathias Pogba said 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.”

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