Serie A: Mathias formally charged with extortion of brother and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba

Mathias Pogba has been charged with extortion, along with four others, in the case involving younger brother and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

RMC Sport reports Mathias was formally charged with extortion and criminal association on Saturday evening in Paris and placed in custody after the decision of the magistrate.

There are now five suspects in the plan to extort money from for Manchester United midfielder Pogba, including Mathias Pogba, all aged between 27 and 36.

“We will appeal this decision,” lawyer Yassine Bouzrou told BFMTV. “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.”

Earlier this month the Paris prosecutor’s office opened a judicial probe into allegations by Paul Pogba that he was the target of extortion attempts and threats from an organised gang.

Paul, 29, told the Paris prosecution office that he had been the target of extortion by childhood friends since March and had paid £85,000 (€100,000) to that group in the spring, judicial sources told Reuters this month.

Franceinfo radio claimed that the group, armed with MI6 assault rifles, demanded £11million (€13m) from the French midfielder for ‘protection services’ stretching back 13 years.

The World Cup winner claims the gang has been threatening him for four months. Acts of intimidation were carried out in Manchester in April, and later around the Italian city of Turin, where Pogba currently plays for Juventus.