Pogba’s Comments on Mourinho

Paul Pogba, who was banned from football for four years due to doping but had his sentence reduced to 18 months, shared his experiences during his time away from the pitch. The French star made notable statements regarding Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho.

After testing positive for taking Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplements, Pogba faced an initial four-year ban. He said, “I faced many problems outside of football and with injuries. I wanted to restart at Juventus, and then these events happened. During that time, I kept asking myself, ‘Why me?’ I just wanted to play football, but suddenly I was overwhelmed with issues, and I couldn’t see the end. I wasn’t prepared for something like this; it all came at once. In those moments, you feel devastated.”

Pogba insisted that he did not take the DHEA supplements for sporting purposes, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agreed with him, reducing his ban from four years to 18 months. He explained, “Taking these supplements was not a mistake; they were prescribed by a professional. My mistake was not verifying if it was correct with a third party, and I take responsibility for that. But on the other hand, what do you do when a doctor tells you to take two doses a day?”

“I Will Sign with a Team in January”

Pogba, who wants to terminate his contract with Juventus, stated, “I still have goals and dreams. My dream has always been to play for the national team, and that remains in the back of my mind. However, in the near future, my focus is to return to the pitch and prove that I am good enough. I am hungrier for success and love football more; I am ready to give my all. I am currently at Juventus, so we don’t really know what’s happening. All parties are talking, lawyers, etc. So I want to know what will happen next. But right now, my main focus is to get myself ready. I am continuing with training and everything to be ready to join a team in January.”

“I Will Reach the Top”

Regarding his situation after the ban, Pogba stated, “Absolutely. There will be a new Pogba. I will reach the top. That is definitely certain. And positively, as I said, with more hunger, with more determination. I feel like a child who wants to be professional again, someone who has never signed a professional contract. That anger is within me. That’s what drives me. I will do everything to return to the level I was before and even better.”

“I Need to Talk to Mourinho”

Pogba, who worked with Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho in 2016, said, “Our relationship was like a couple’s relationship. We constantly broke up and got back together. Everything started wonderfully; one of the reasons I returned to Manchester was him. I talked to him, and he convinced me to return. I don’t know exactly how this relationship turned into a nightmare and a constant fight between us. I didn’t fight. I didn’t start the fight. We had disagreements like any coach and player, but I have a lot of respect for him, and if I saw him tomorrow, I would give him a big hug. But we need to sit down together one day and discuss this.”