Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe on Monday confirmed that Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba contacted him and denied that the two had differences after Mbappe’s name emerged in an extortion scandal currently under criminal investigation by French prosecutors.
French prosecutors are investigating allegations that Pogba was the target of blackmail by his brother Mathias Pogba and childhood friends. They allegedly demanded 13 million euros (nearly 13 million dollars) from France midfielder.
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French media reports say Paul Pogba told investigators that blackmailers wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to bless Mbappe – an allegation The claim was denied by his French team-mate.
On Monday, Mbappe told a press conference that he had no problem and confirmed that Pogba had been in contact with him.
“I don’t think it will change my relationship with him,” Mbappe told a news conference ahead of PSG’s Champions League match against Juventus Tuesday. “Until today, I prefer to believe a teammate’s word. He called me, he gave me his version of the story and to this day, that’s his word against it. to his brother.”
“So I’ll trust my teammates, in the best interest of the national team. We have a big competition coming up. He has some problems at the moment so it’s not the time to be. replenish them for him and that’s it..
“We’ll see what happens. I’m pretty separate about it.”
Mathias Pogba last week appeared to address the witch doctor’s complaint in a Twitter post aimed at Mbappe: “Kylian, do you understand now? I have nothing against you, what am I saying? is for your sake, everything is true and known, witch doctor is known!”
Pogba is said to have paid 100,000 euros ($100,000) after he was threatened by armed, masked men in a Paris apartment in March while he was in France for work. national team mission.
He also denied the allegation about Mbappe, telling French media that he did not seek to use magic to harm Mbappe and only used the sorcerer for protection from injury.
Pogba, who suffered a knee injury that required surgery, is sidelined for Juve’s clash with PSG on Tuesday and faces a battle to defend France’s World Cup title in Qatar starting in November.
Initial reports say he probably won’t return to play for the Serie A club until January. Last month, Pogba decided not to have surgery after he damaged a meniscus during training following his return to Juve from Manchester United for the upcoming season.
“This morning he trained for the second time but then stopped and then it was decided that he had to have surgery. We will practically bring him back in January,” Allegri told reporters. staff ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with PSG.
Allegri is unsure if 29-year-old Pogba will be ready for France’s world title defense on November 21-December 21. World Cup 18 in Qatar, added: “The World Cup is not my problem, Juventus’s problem is that he comes back in January.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
