Manchester United players past and present have been rallying around former star Paul Pogba.
Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year suspension from football after testing positive for banned substances, BBC Sport reported.
It is a hefty suspension, for a player who missed nearly all of last season with injuries since returning to Juventus.
Pogba departed Manchester United as a free agent in 2022, with both club and player in need of a fresh start.
Speaking in his self-titled Pogmentary, the Frenchman had lashed out at United for offering him a contract he viewed as derisory. He decided to walk away, thankfully, and try and prove the club wrong.
He stated at the time: “Playing is all that matters, winning too. My thought process is to show Manchester they shouldn’t have waited this long to offer a contract and to show other clubs that Manchester made a mistake in not offering a contract.”
Pogba’s spell at Juventus has turned into a disaster. He tested positive for a banned substance last September and has not played since. Now he has been handed his punishment.
Pogba emotional after ban
The former Manchester United midfielder, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, issued an emotional statement after learning of the decision.
He said he was “shocked, sad and heartbroken”, before pledging to clear his name.
Writing on Instagram, he vowed: “As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The 30-year-old’s career is hanging in the balance. And while Manchester United fans have strong opinions on Pogba, and so do many pundits, Pogba’s former colleagues have one reaction – total support.
Support for Paul Pogba
Manchester United players past and present demonstrated their support for Paul Pogba by publicly responding on social media. Many will have messaged him privately too.
United stars Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes both sent messages. Fernandes was close to Pogba during their crossover at Old Trafford, and his message read, “Together forever”.
Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane also reached out, while former United players Andreas Pereira and Eric Bailly both reached out to show their support.
There is no timescale on how long Paul Pogba’s fight through the courts will take. It is not expected to be a quick process, however.
But when the alternative is a four-year ban, Pogba clearly feels like he has to fight this, to get his career back, and to clear his name and reputation.
Whatever your view of Pogba, this is a sad way for his career to potentially end. Yes, he could make a return in four years time at 34, but by then with his injury, he will have had essentially five years away from plating at the top level, and no serious team will be looking to offer him a way back.