Stade Rennais hosts AS Monaco this weekend for the 13th day of Ligue 1. Paul Pogba could finally appear in the Monegasque group, more than two years after his last official match with Juventus, marked by a suspension for doping and several physical relapses since his arrival in the Principality last summer.
At the head of the Breton club, Habib Beye said he was delighted at the idea of seeing the midfielder again on French lawns. “I’m very happy, because I admire the player he is, the immense player he was and everything he brought to football. When you love this sport, you love Pogba for what he does”declared the coach at a press conference.
Beye refuses to speak of Pogba in the past tense and is delighted with his return to Ligue 1. “I will never talk about the player he is in the past tense. Because I think that for Ligue 1, it’s magnificent to see him return to the Monaco group, it will be magnificent to see him again on the pitch, whether here or elsewhere”he added.
An emotional return
The Senegalese technician paid tribute to the 32-year-old player and his journey strewn with pitfalls. “His story is not simple and I have a lot of affection for him. He was someone who had immense respect for me. Above all, he is a lover of the game. Today, his only desire is to be able to express himself again. For Ligue 1 and as a football fan, I am happy to see him return to a very high level”Beye concluded.
Pogba could also find Brice Samba at Roazhon Park, whom he knew at the Le Havre training center. “I am saddened by what he went through. I’m not with him on a daily basis in Monaco and I don’t know how his body reacts, but he’s someone who never gives up. When he decides something, he achieves it. He has an enormous mentality, and I can only wish him to return to his best level… after Saturday”commented the Rennes goalkeeper.
