Paul Pogba: Why Monaco have gambled on ‘wildcard’ move for Frenchman
Monaco and the rest of Ligue 1 will look to benefit from Pogba’s profile in the meantime.
At the time of his presentation, more than half of the Monaco shirts ordered were printed with the World Cup winner’s name, while social media content surrounding his arrival gained 400 million impressions.
Rennes manager Habib Beye and Brest manager Eric Roy have praised the signing, as has the president of the league, Vincent Labrune.
“The league will benefit not only from his talent and his charisma, but also from his international standing,” he said.
Monaco will also stand to benefit on the pitch, should Pogba prove to be the player of old, but there is no guarantee.
Even before his ban the Frenchman had been dogged by injury issues for months, even years, and even admitted to seeing a witch doctor about them.
Pogba was forced to make that admission following accusations from his brother, Mathias, that he had used a witch doctor to place a curse on Kylian Mbappe before PSG’s Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United in 2019.
Those accusations were part of a wider extortion attempt that dates back to the midfielder’s time at Old Trafford.
In March 2022 he was kidnapped by masked men, who demanded a payment of 13m euros (£11.3m). His brother was sentenced to a three-year prison term, two years of which were suspended.
Pogba believed that difficult chapter impacted him on the pitch.
“It is all linked,” he said at his presentation, which he began by explaining his tears upon signing for Monaco.
“If the mind is good, it will go well on the pitch. It is very rare to see me cry like that, so I hope you enjoyed it. There were so many images that came into my mind.
“We know the doping story, my injury… everything came back to me during the signing and I just couldn’t hold it back. It was a moment of joy.”
Clearly marked by an unsavoury spell in the footballing wilderness, Pogba has now turned the page in his career and is eager to enjoy a fresh start.
“I spoke with multiple people [during my ban] who helped me to see things in the present, to not think about the past or the future,” he added.
Now “more determined”, Pogba has extra motivation, too, for his comeback.
“I wanted my kids to see me on the pitch – my dream is to see my kids celebrate one of my goals with a dab,” he joked.
A return to the international set-up is also a major objective, and he couldn’t be in a better place to add to his 91 caps, with France boss Didier Deschamps’ residence just a stone’s throw away from Monaco’s performance centre.
Next summer’s World Cup will be Deschamps’ final tournament after 14 years in charge. Pogba was one of his key players during Les Bleus’ 2018 triumph in Russia and, with a second chance and new lease of life, he could yet be once more.