Mbappe dismisses talk of rift with France teammate Pogba over blackmail affair
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Mbappe was speaking at a press conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game.
PARIS (AFP) - Kylian Mbappe on Monday played down suggestions that his relationship with Paul Pogba could be impacted after his name came up in a blackmail affair engulfing his France teammate.
Pogba says he is the victim of a multi-million euro blackmail plot to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on Mbappe.
The claims about the witch doctor were revealed publicly by Pogba s elder brother Mathias.
Paul Pogba, who left Manchester United in the close season to return to former club Juventus, denies the accusation.
"No because today as things stand I prefer to believe what my teammate says," Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe said when asked if there might be a problem with Pogba.
Mbappe was speaking at a press conference ahead of Tuesday s Champions League game between PSG and Pogba s Juventus in Paris.
"He called me and gave me his version of events. It is his word against his brother s word. I am going to trust my teammate," Mbappe said of his fellow 2018 World Cup winner.
"I think it s in the interests of the national team as well with a big tournament coming up.
"At the moment he already has certain problems and now is not the time to add to those problems.
"We ll see what happens but I am quite detached from all that."
A criminal investigation was launched in France last week into the affair.
Based on the findings of a preliminary investigation last month it will examine allegations -- for now against persons unknown -- including blackmail by an armed gang, kidnapping and membership of a criminal conspiracy.
Pogba is sidelined for Juve s clash with PSG on Tuesday and faces a battle to be fit for France s defence of the World Cup trophy in Qatar starting in November.
He is currently recovering from a knee injury.
