Paul Pogba claims wild extortion plot after brother’s Twitter video

France midfielder Paul Pogba has said he is the victim of extortion attempts and threats from an organized gang and that authorities in Italy and France are investigating the matter.

Pogba, who rejoined Italian Serie A club Juventus in July following his departure from English Premier League Manchester United, released a statement on Sunday after his brother Mathias Pogba posted a video online.

Mathias Pogba spoke in French, Spanish, English and Italian in the video and promised to make “great revelations” about his younger brother and the 2018 World Cup-winner’s agent Rafaela Pimenta.

“The recent declarations of Mathias Pogba on social media are unfortunately not a surprise. 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,” Paul Pogba said in a statement that was signed by his lawyers, his mother Yeo Moriba and his agent.

Mathias responded on Twitter on Sunday night.

“I hope you won’t be fooled by an attempt to manipulate the media and the authorities,” he wrote, according to EuroSport. “When you are famous the world is with you, the authorities listen more attentively. But that doesn’t put you above the law, the police aren’t your minions!”

The French prosecutor told Reuters that an investigation was underway.

“I confirm that an investigation was opened on 3 August 2022 on the charge of attempted extortion by an organised criminal gang. The investigations have been entrusted to the OCLCO,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The OCLCO is a unit within the judicial police tasked with investigating organized crime.

Pogba, 29, suffered a knee injury in a training session with Juventus last month. He opted not to have surgery and to undergo “conservative therapy” in order to be fit to play in the Qatar World Cup starting on Nov. 20.