Mathias Pogba, the brother of France international midfielder Paul, has been released from prison after being held by French authorities in relation to an alleged blackmail plot against his sibling.
Paul had earlier alleged his brother is part of a "group-organised extortion attempt" against him, with several individuals in their 20s and 30s placed under investigation by French authorities. Mathias has previously denied the allegations against him.
Paul Pogba has claimed he was a victim of an £11m plot against him from a group of childhood friends - including his brother - for protection services. Mathias' lawyer insists his client is innocent.
"We are going to challenge this decision," Mathias Pogba's lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, told BFMTV in September.. "My client has committed no criminal offence. We do not understand the decision to keep him in custody, especially as he has an alibi for the night of the alleged kidnap.”
Bouzrou also confirmed the 32-year-old's release to BFMTV, following earlier reports from Le Parisien. The latter outlet also reported that a first appeal for release on September 29 had been rejected.
Le Parisien also reports that, following Mathias' release, he will not be permitted to contact Paul, his mother or those described by the publication as "the protagonists of the case". He has also reportedly been hit with a social media ban, and a ban on leaving France.
Paul Pogba, who spent six years in England during his second Manchester United spell, re-joined Juventus in the summer of 2022. He played more than 200 games in his second stint at Old Trafford, top-scoring for United in the 2018-19 season, and was part of the team which won the Europa League in 2016-17 under Jose Mourinho - the most recent major trophy won by the Manchester club..
The 29-year-old alleged the group including his brother requested money for "protection" services dating back 13 years. According to earlier reports, the 2018 World Cup winner claims to have been confronted at gunpoint and taken to a flat in Roissy-en-Brie in the Paris suburbs.
It is there that the £11m sum was allegedly demanded, including an immediate £2.6m. The midfielder, who sat out the 2022 World Cup through injury, claims he opened a criminal complaint through his lawyer after the group attempted to extort money from him.
Mathias Pogba, also a footballer, most recently played for Belfort in the French fourth tier. He too spent time in the English football pyramid, including stints with Wrexham and Crewe Alexandra, and has five senior caps for the Guinean senior national team.
In August, he pledged to expose "explosive" "revelations" about his younger brother, about Paul's agent, and about another France international, Kylian Mbappe. All three have denied the allegations.
