Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba has been caught in a summer of unfortunate events, facing blackmail and a knee injury that could cloud his World Cup appearance in Qatar. 

Long-time friend and teammate, Kylian Mbappe, finally spoke on the rumours circulating online stating that Pogba asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on him. 

“Today, I prefer to believe the word of a teammate; it is his word against the word of his brother; I am going to believe my teammate,” Mbappe said ahead of the Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League match on Tuesday against Juventus. 

“It’s not a time to put more onto him. I’m pretty detached from it all,” the French superstar added. 

Last week, Pogba’s brother, Mathias, posted a sensational video in which he expressed that he holds intimate details about Pogba and his teammates, including Mbappe. 

Publishing the video on his Instagram account, Mathias expressed that the public needs to know the truth about who his brother actually is.

“The French, English, Italian, and Spanish public, in other words, the whole world, as well as my brother’s fans, and even more so the French team and Juventus, my brother’s teammates, and his sponsors, deserve to know certain things. In order to make an informed decision if he deserves the admiration, respect, and love of the public,” Mathias voiced as he sat reading a script.

“If he deserves his place in the French team and the honor of playing in the World Cup. If he deserves to be a starter at Juventus. If he is a trustworthy person, that any player deserves to have at his side, Mathias further stated in the 2-minute video.

Regarding Mbappe, Mathias promised that France’s boy wonder would also be exposed, “I will tell you about very important things about him, and there will be elements and many testimonies to confirm my words.”

Pogba has since responded to the video and the claims of the alleged witchcraft, stating that he is a victim of extortion by an organised gang which French authorities have been working on for a month now.

13 million euros have been demanded by Paul Pogba’s brother and childhood friends, who aim to discredit the record of the football star.

Pogba has already paid 100,000 euros to the group, French officials confirmed last week.

The payment was reportedly made after Pogba was threatened by armed masked men in a Paris apartment in March while he was in France for a national team game.

Mathias’s latest video claims his superstar brother had paid millions of euros to witch doctors over the years to avoid injuries and placed the spell on others instead of himself. 

“These practices require you to do bad things for their rituals with a desire to do harm,” said Mathias. 

Mathias also defended himself from the accusation of extortion by his brother.

“In his relentless effort to discredit anyone who knows his dirty little secrets, Paul claims that the money he gave to his childhood friends was part of an extortion, but what if this money is justified by official and registered documents, and there is evidence of a consenting gesture?”

The President of the French Football Federation Noel Le Graet believes fans should not pay attention to the story as it is only rumoured.

Meanwhile, Pogba will not be playing in the match against Mbappe as he has decided to undergo surgery for his knee.

Initially, Pogba decided not to have surgery and instead undergo five weeks of conservative treatment.

But while he was training on the pitches again, Pogba was not confident he would have a complete physical return.

The 29-year-old will be out for an estimated 40-60 days, which edges close to the debut of France’s World game against Australia on November 22.

Fans of Pogba can only hope that the star of the French team appears in Qatar as he was a vital player during the 2018 campaign.

Pogba scored in the 4-1 win over Croatia, winning his country a gold trophy for the second time.