Long hampered by the whims of his body on the way to recovery, Paul Pogba was finally able to play in an official match again. For the first time since September 3, 2023 and his last outing with Juve against Empoli. Suspended for 18 months for doping then weighed down by injuries, the person concerned played around ten minutes this minute during the championship match between Rennes and Monaco (4-1).
If he was of course unable to prevent the collapse of his team – although on the pitch to reduce the gap, from 4-0 to 4-1 – Paul Pogba still savored his return to business as he should. “ There were a lot of emotions. I’m happy, even if there’s a bit of sadness with the result too. We have come a long way. Today was a milestone to take. I did it and I’m happy for it », He reacted initially on the Ligue 1+ channel.
Acclaimed by the Rennes public, “La Pioche” admits: “ It touched me. Seeing the audience stand up and applaud, I didn’t expect it. A big thank you to the fans who personally supported me. » And to welcome the conditions of this return to school, as relayed by RMC: “ The sensations were good, I wanted to bring good energy, not to score goals, to have fun, it’s been a long time. I am relieved to have returned to football, what I love most in the world. But there is still work to do to get back in top shape and play 90 minutes. »
“The French team is very far away”
“ I am a challengeradds the 2018 world champion. Football is not over for me. We worked, we waited more than two years to come back. We will continue to work to achieve the other objectives. I want to have fun. Despite everything that happened, the stories outside of football, I was the one who suffered the most. I was looking forward to this. You have times when the devil tries to speak in your head to say it’s over. But there is a good god, I believe in myself. I believe in my qualities. I hadn’t done anything, it wasn’t my fault. I always had hope… »
However, there is no question of skipping steps and claiming a place that would not be yours today. Under the blue jersey at the World Cup in this case. “ I’m thinking about being fit, getting back in shape to help the team. If I play badly and I don’t perform well in Monaco, we have to forget the French team. It’s very far. Today, I only think about Monaco… »
