Like a lot of things in 2022, it all started on social media.
By publishing a series of videos in several languages on Saturday evening promising "big revelations" about his younger brother, world champion Paul Pogba, Mathias Pogba (32) ignited social networks and the international press.
But what exactly happened?
The chronology of events
If it was only made public very suddenly this weekend, the Pogba affair begins with a complaint filed by Paul, in mid-July, with the Italian police.
The new recruit from Juventus Turin, who arrived in Piedmont a few days earlier at the end of his contract with Manchester United, then denounces an attempt at extortion which he has been the subject of since March.
On this occasion, as France Info revealed this Sunday evening, the 2018 world champion specifically challenges Mathias Pogba, one of his two older brothers, and other acquaintances whose names have not been filtered.
Paul Pogba, 29, explains that these people would have exerted pressure on several occasions, in Paris first in March, then in Manchester and finally in Turin, so that he pays them a sum of 13 million euros.
Hi everyone, I just joined Twitter because I suddenly wanted to express myself and soon I think I'm going to let go!
So follow me and get ready!
👇🏿 The full video is on
insta @mathiaspogbaofficial pic.twitter.com/femvMRN7PQ
— Mathias Pogba (@LeMathiasPogba) August 27, 2022
According to France Info, Paul Pogba "in particular mentioned the fact that his blackmailers wanted to discredit him by broadcasting messages in which he allegedly asked a marabout from his family circle to cast a spell on Kylian Mbappé, which the player denies".
The Italian authorities transmitted the information to the Paris prosecutor's office on August 1.
Two days later, on August 3, an investigation was opened in Paris on the head of attempted extortion by an organized gang.
The investigations, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (OCLCO) whose headquarters are located in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine), begin with the hearing of Paul Pogba and several of his relatives.
On this occasion, the midfielder of the Blues, who in the meantime injured his knee during training with Juventus, reiterates and clarifies his accusations.
So far, the respondents have not been heard by the OCLCO police.
What are both sides saying?
Following the videos of Mathias Pogba, the lawyers of Paul Pogba, of Yeo Moriba (the mother of Paul, Florentin and Mathias Pogba) and Rafaela Pimenta, published a press release, assuring that "the recent declarations of Mathias Pogba on social networks are unfortunately not a surprise” and that they “come on top of threats and organized gang extortion attempts against Paul Pogba”.
The press release also confirms that "the competent authorities in Italy and France were seized a month ago", according to our information.
In the video messages posted in the last two days on social networks, Mathias Pogba suggests that he would have elements accrediting a very different version of the facts exposed by his younger brother.
This Sunday evening, he again reacted to information revealed by France Info, also ensuring that "the marabout" invoked against Mbappé was "known".
“Paul, you really wanted to shut me up even if it means lying and sending me to prison, I suspected it now it's proven, my version of the facts is happening and unlike you, I have enough to prove my words and your lies, he tweeted.
It's not about money: You implicated me in spite of myself, I almost died because of you, you left me in the hole while fleeing and you want to play the innocent, when all is said, people will see that there is no coward,
more treacherous and more hypocritical than you on this earth.
»
