Paul Pogba’s brother Matthias charged and detained over extortion.

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Mathias Pogba has been placed under formal investigation by French authorities over an alleged extortion plot against his brother, Paul.

The former Manchester United player’s brother, Mathias, has been charged and detained over an alleged plot to extort money from Paul.

According to News agencies Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP) who quoted  judicial sources, four other people have been placed under formal investigation for extortion and participation in a criminal association, with three ordered to be detained alongside Mathias.

Mathias Pogba’s Lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou insists his client is innocent. “We are going to challenge this decision,” he told French Broadcaster BFMTV.

Mathias Pogba was behind a video which promised to reveal “explosive” information about his younger brother.

 He was initially taken into police custody on September 14 and has now been charged.

The saga is threatening to impact France’s World Cup preparations as Hugo Lloris revealed there is a “negative” feeling around the squad leading into the international break.

Pogba faces a race against time to be fit for the Qatar tournament after suffering a knee injury which required surgery.