Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba paid €100,000 (£85,000) to a group that was trying to extort him for millions, French officials have said.
Prosecutors in France are investigating allegations that Pogba, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, was the target of extortion by an organised group, that included his brother, Mathias, and childhood friends.
They allegedly demanded €13m (£11m) from the midfielder, who rejoined Juventus in the summer transfer window, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he did not support them after he became an international footballer.
An official close to the investigation told the Associated Press on Tuesday that Pogba told investigators he had already paid €100,000 to the group.
According to reports in France, the midfielder made the payment in April after he was threatened by masked, armed men in a Paris flat in March while he was in France for international games.
The group also made demands at the Juventus training centre in Turin and according to reports by France’s public broadcaster, Pogba said his brother was among the group.
The case became public after Mathias posted a video and tweets last weekend threatening to share “explosive revelations” about his brother and another France star, Kylian Mbappe.
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In one video, Mathias, who played for Wrexham, Crewe, Crawley Town and Partick Thistle, said he “almost died because of” Paul Pogba.
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In response, Paul Pogba’s lawyer released a statement saying his brother’s claims were “in addition to threats and extortion attempts by an organised gang”.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday it had opened an investigation this month into attempted extortion.
