Unfortunately for him, the successes were only the submerged part of a career so littered with hard knocks and extra-sporting setbacks. Sometimes it was his body, much more fragile than average, that gave out. Too often, in fact. It’s no coincidence, therefore, that over the last 10 years, Pogba has missed nearly 180 official matches. That’s a lot and, above all, it says a lot.
Because it allows us to open another pan of the rich character Pogba. More obscure, not always 100% focused on football. Relaxation, sometimes, excessively… for the worse this time.
In 2022, after six years at United, he takes the elevator back: heading to Juventus, again, to hope to write a second chapter with the Bianconeri. He doesn’t know it yet, but his return to Italy marks the beginning of the end for him. Because his body is failing him, even more than usual and he is no longer able to accumulate matches. A blank season in 2022 and… 12 small matches played since July 11, 2022 (!).
Off the field, too, the storm is brewing. Still in 2022, three months before a World Cup in Qatar which he will ultimately miss… due to injury, La Pioche finds himself at the center of a strange affair. The Frenchman claims to be the victim of an extortion attempt, by an organized gang, instigated by his own brother, Mathias. At the time, there was also a story of maraboutage against a backdrop of family vendetta. Obviously, even if Paul sets himself up as a victim of this affair, his image is still a little damaged.
It is even more so when he finds himself, a few months later, at the heart of a doping story while he squats the benches of the club’s infirmary and tries to gain the upper hand over his own body. There too, he cries injustice and explains that he took this illicit product against his will.
Except this time, after several months of waiting, the sentence is confirmed. Pogba is expected to be suspended for four years, although he says he wants to appeal the decision.
A new setback to a career that had already been seriously slipping for several months. Will we ever see him again on the field? We hope so for him.
Otherwise, this end of his career would look like one of the biggest wastes in recent football history.