From retirement thoughts to coming back ‘better than before’ – what we learned from the Paul Pogba interviews | OneFootball

Over the course of three days, Paul Pogba (31) has done a tour of the media, following the reduction of his ban from football. A ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) stated that Pogba’s ban had been reduced from four years to 18 months, meaning that he is free to return in March 2025.

Pogba spoke to a whole host of media in La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, L’Équipe and RMC Sport in France, and with a host of anglophone media, including Sky Sports and ESPN. He evoked a wide range of topics, from his time out of the game, his return, and his future for club and country.

Former Manchester United midfielder considered retirement

He told RMC Sport that, at periods of his time in the wilderness, he considered retirement from the game. “It came into my mind (retirement). I was in a period where it was all vague. You didn’t even know what would happen tomorrow. You’re just waiting […] it was like that for a year. It was very, very hard to manage. Those were the times when you asked: ‘When will it stop?'” said Pogba.

The France international told L’Équipe has matured a lot during his suspension. “[During my suspension] I aged 10 years. I saw what life really was. It changes [you]. You no longer see things the same. You no longer get the same messages, the same calls.”

He added that his faith helped him through. “The hardest thing was understanding why it was happening to me. If you don’t have faith, it is hard because you’re asking yourself when will it end. When you have faith, you continue to believe in something that you cannot see. That helped keep me upright,” said Pogba.

However, returning from his time in the cold, he has now promised to return a different player. “For sure, it’s going to be a new Pogba,” he began, in an interview with ESPN. “That is for sure and in a positive way too: with more hunger and more determination. I feel like a kid who just wants to be a professional again, who never turned professional. The anger that I have is what drives me. I will do everything to come back at the level that I was at before and even better, why not.”

A vague future at club level

The question of Pogba’s future is a pertinent one. He is still under contract at Juventus, however, there have been reports of talks of a mutual termination. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he revealed a desire to remain at the Serie A side, even if it means taking a paycut on his current deal, which runs until 2026.

“I am currently a Juve player and that is all that I am thinking about today […] I am willing to take a salary cut to stay at Juventus,” he said, before unequivocally ruling out a move to Italian rivals AC Milan.

Pogba laughed off links to a move to Olympique de Marseille, first drawn by former teammate Patrice Evra. “There have always been rumours linking me to PSG, Real Madrid; it’s nothing new. I am always professional and I respect the club with which I am under contract,” he said. The Frenchman added that he is yet to speak with new manager Thiago Motta, alluding to legal restraints preventing him from doing so, however, he hopes to speak to the Italian soon, he said.

Pogba targets France return

Wherever he plays, he is looking to make a return to the France set-up. As he told L’Équipe, Les Bleus manager Didier Deschamps is one of the people who helped him through his suspension. “Deschamps was one of the ones that helped me during this period. There are others, like Didier Drogba. I spoke with Zlatan Ibrahimovic too, and Cristiano Ronaldo.” he said.

He will now be hoping that Deschamps, who has frequently publically defended Pogba, will hand him a recall. “It is an objective (a France return). You have to be ready for that. I have to and I will do everything possible to come back, but you have to deserve your place!”

Whilst his club future remains unclear, what is clear is his determination to return with a bang and re-establish himself at the forefront of the game, both for club and country.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle