Vincent Kompany: "Every win is difficult, so it is a brilliant win"
When asked to give an overall summary of the match, Kompany said, 'Really pleased - we have seen how tough it has been for the European teams to play against the South American teams. I thought we did really well, managed the emotions of the game - would like not to concede, but we stayed calm, and the way we finished the game was really mature as well'.
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He added, 'Solid performance - if we had to be hypercritical, I think we have to score a few more goals, and that we would not have this, I would not say nervy finish, but the chance we have for the opponent to get back into the game - othwerise, it is the Club World Cup, every win is difficult so it is a brilliant win'.
When asked about Boca Juniors' energy in the second half and whether they are in better physical shape compared to the Bayern players, Kompany said: 'I think in the first half, we were playing the game we wanted to have - in the second half, they are a team with heart and passion, they came back into it'.
He continued, saying, 'We made some mistakes - it was not like we were conceding big chances, but momentum shifts really quickly; striker has one chance, scored, well done to him, but then, we just got back in the game, we got more dangerous, we combined with a bit more purpose. I am happy because part of the emotions of these games in this tournament is to stay calm, and I feel like it was a German-esque like performance in that sense'.
Regarding the upcoming match against SL Benfica on Tuesday, and whether it will be an opportunity to 'rotate' players and give certain players added minutes of experience, Kompany stated: 'I do not like the word rotation, it is a seven-game competition; the main thing for us is to win the first tournament, that being the group stages'.
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'In the second tournament [the knockouts], you have all the energy to go game-by-game and like today, maybe win a little bit late, but to have these moments - we will see from a physical point of view what is necessary, but otherwise, we want to go with good momentum into the next stages'.
Lastly, he was asked about the atmosphere at Hard Rock Stadium, and said: 'It was amazing. If you are not here, it is sometimes hard to understand it, but being here is an experience, a privilege. Any of us [at Bayern], we are used to so many big evenings, big moments, and still, this is something totally different - interesting from a fan perspective, if you take away the money, if you take away all of that, it is just incredibly interesting, and we are happy to start with two wins'.
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New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Inside England's Euros build-up: Earps and Bright disruption, Barcelona night out and dogs in camp
It was on the evening of Monday, May 26 that Mary Earps spoke face-to-face with her England team-mates, explaining she was retiring from international football. There were five weeks to go before the start of the European Championship. Thirteen days earlier, on May 13, England manager Sarina Wiegman had called up Earps, Millie Bright and Fran Kirby for Nations League fixtures against Portugal and Spain. But just over three weeks later, all had decided — for different reasons — they were not going to play a part in the Lionesses' defence of the title they won on home soil in 2022. This is the story of England's eventful build-up to the European Championship. It was Wiegman who first informed the squad of Earps' decision, communicating the news with them before allowing the goalkeeper to speak. Some players encouraged the manager to thank the goalkeeper for her contribution but she refused, expressing sentiments of anger, frustration and disappointment. Advertisement That was not the only concern that day. Bubbling away in the background were questions regarding Bright's availability given she was not at camp because she had 'withdrawn to undertake an extended period of recovery', according to the Football Association's statement. Bright said she was 'mentally and physically' at her limits and needed a break. Captain Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Kirby have all praised her for speaking out about mental health and Wiegman said 'she has to take care of herself'. The manager had told Bright she was not a guaranteed starter, a decision Bright strongly disagreed with. Just over a week later, the situation had not changed. After the 2-1 defeat by Spain on June 3, Wiegman confirmed she still needed to have a conversation with Bright to determine what would happen. A few days earlier Wiegman had spoken to Kirby in what was an emotional discussion to inform the Brighton & Hove Albion player she would not make the squad. 'I really respected the honesty and having that conversation,' said Kirby, speaking at a London event with Viagogo last week. 'Then I could give her my honesty.' The 32-year-old forward had always planned to retire after the Euros. Wiegman asked Kirby if she wanted to go home and 'mentally decompress', a gesture Kirby really appreciated, but the midfielder wanted to be with the team, 'train hard' and enjoy her last few days as an England player. 'She really respected the way I wanted to tell people,' said Kirby, who had a picture with some of her team-mates and Wiegman after training. 'She was great in that period.' Kirby's announcement following the Spain game surprised many but Wiegman, of course, knew it was coming. After the match the team enjoyed a night out in Barcelona, an important moment to relax, socialise and put the week behind them. Some players were flying back from Barcelona when Bright announced her withdrawal at 11.40am the next day, 24 hours before the official Euros squad announcement. 'I'm not able to give 100 per cent mentally or physically,' read her social media post. There was no official statement from England. The following day Chelsea confirmed in a brief statement their captain had undergone minor knee surgery. Advertisement According to sources with knowledge of the matter, who like all in this article wish to remain anonymous to protect relationships, privately some players were surprised and disappointed, while others understood Bright's decision. Kirby said last week: 'Football has taught me to never be surprised… when someone makes that decision, it's for a reason.' Some saw Bright's withdrawal as putting her team under undue pressure given fellow centre-back Alex Greenwood has only just returned from injury, while others understood why she put her own physical and mental wellbeing first. Bright was firmly in Wiegman's mind for selection but viewed from the perspective of her club career, there was a logic to resolving any injury as soon as possible if she needed surgery at some point and was unlikely to play a starting role this summer. Many players paid tribute to Earps' and Kirby's careers but it was noticeable that fewer players took to social media in support of Bright. Of course, the former two had retired whereas the latter had only temporarily withdrawn. According to one source, a couple of days after Earps' retirement Wiegman spoke to goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and made it clear she had full trust in her. Earps' decision had not changed the course of action. Within 10 days, England had lost three key figures. Some questioned the timing, citing potential disruption and distraction, but this has not harmed team cohesion — if anything it has brought the squad closer together. From the outside, the events of this build-up period could paint the picture of a squad full of unrest but there is a positive mood and youthful bounce around the team, who are based in a plush Zurich hotel. After Earps' announcement, Wiegman was asked if she felt her players were together. 'Yes I do,' she replied. Advertisement This whole period was laced with danger for the Dutch manager, who risked becoming isolated given she was losing three players who had been central figures throughout her time in charge. But even though many players are close to Earps and Bright — and there was some initial frustration with Wiegman's response — the squad's positive relationship with their coach remains unchanged. The sentiment was they are professionals with a job to do and did not have time to ruminate. According to one source, the players would rather have people who want to be there. That is not to say the trio were disruptors by any means, but they go into the tournament with a clean slate. As Keira Walsh told Sky Sports at the England media day: 'They are not here, so we've got to look forward.' Ever the pragmatist, Wiegman has refused to go into detail about the past. 'We're not in that situation,' she said when asked if she was firm in her mind about her No 1 prior to Earps' retirement. Similarly, when asked if she would have liked to have Kirby on standby, she said, 'Oh, that's not relevant'. Wiegman's frank approach is not new to this team. 'Sarina has always been direct, she always says it the way it is,' said Georgia Stanway at the England media day. 'Whether you like it or not, it's something you have to take on the chin.' Did Wiegman play her hand too soon? Could she have kept Earps and Bright onside? Perhaps, but that would have risked a sense of resentment and implosion mid-tournament had she not selected them to play. How the mood inside the camp develops will inevitably rely on results. England are in a tough group, and if they lose their opening game against France then it could be difficult to recover for their second match, against the Netherlands. The mood could flip quickly, questions could be asked and it is not unthinkable to imagine a scenario in which Wiegman's future is called into question, even though she has a contract until after the 2027 World Cup. But hit the ground running and the picture will look hugely positive. The squad gathered at their Staffordshire base of St George's Park on Monday, June 16 for — in Hampton and Beth Mead's words — a pre-tournament 'boot camp' in the hot weather. Players were welcome to bring their dogs, which encouraged socialising outside, and they had their usual mobile barista Cheals on Wheels. Earlier in the year they also did spray painting as a team-bonding activity. At the May camp they had a movie night with popcorn and candy floss on tap as they watched the horror film Sinners starring Michael B Jordan. Advertisement As in previous years, players had the first weekend off before returning to camp for good on June 23. The key is to try to balance preparation, recovery, relaxation and tournament obligations. The players have had media and UEFA access days, a photoshoot with official team tailor Marks & Spencer, deliveries of personalised shin pads with their number and group games printed on the front and a visit from UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on June 19. On Saturday evening they stayed overnight in Leicester before Sunday's 7-0 thrashing of Jamaica, a far easier assignment than their opening game against France will be. After that match at Leicester's King Power Stadium, they enjoyed some time with loved ones before returning to St George's Park that evening. Family and friends, some of whom stayed over, enjoyed coffee and ice cream with the players on Monday. Wiegman has always emphasised the importance of such interaction and treating players as adults. There will be moments throughout the tournament when players have time off and family and friends can visit. The players' families also met Prince William who, along with fans, gave England a royal send-off the same day before they flew that evening on a chartered flight to Zurich. Small touches like boxes of Yorkshire Tea branded as Lionesses' Tea created a home-away-from-home feel as they settled into their five-star Dolder Grand Hotel located on the outskirts of Zurich. The team did some city sightseeing and went on a boat trip on Tuesday before their first training session amid sweltering heat at midday on Wednesday. More eyes will be on the Lionesses than ever before. Indeed the players left St George's Park wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase: 'Everyone watches the Lionesses.' 'You're brilliant together,' Prince William said. 'You create a very unique unit. It is rare in lots of other sports. Hold on to that, treasure that, build on it, because it's one of your greatest assets.' Advertisement In the lead-up to the Euro 2022 final, Wiegman was waiting for something to go wrong, but it never did. This time, she has weathered the rocky period that has come before the tournament, the team have put initially disruptive preparation behind them and they are ready to go. The question now is: can they deliver? (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Jon Hobley | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images; Ryan Pierse – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
Pogacar, Vingegaard, Van der Poel, Evenepoel: Welcome to cycling's ‘Big Four' era
Santiago Buitrago is the only verified case of a person being abducted by aliens. During the first stage of last month's Criterium du Dauphine, the 25-year-old Colombian suddenly found himself in an escape group made up of Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Mathieu van der Poel. Now, Buitrago is a fine rider in his own right, finishing in the top 10 of last year's Tour de France and set to lead his Bahrain-Victorious team at the race this summer. But this grouping was different. Advertisement Van der Poel is the world's best classics rider. He is the grandson of the legendary Raymond Poulidor and an eight-time Monument winner — the sport's heritage literally runs through his blood. Evenepoel is the peloton's dominant time-trialist, with an average speed in the discipline almost 2kph faster than any other man in history. He became the first man to win gold in the time-trial and road race at last summer's Paris Olympics. Three-time Tour de France champion Pogacar is on his way to greatest-of-all-time status, or at least will not need an oxygen mask to breathe Eddy Merckx's rarified air. And in two-time Tour winner Vingegaard, there was the only man to have ever consistently beaten the Slovenian in stage races, arguably his equal in the very highest mountains. 'I'm gone, I'm dead,' Vingegaard forced a depleted Pogacar to gasp on the Col de la Loze at the 2023 Tour. Unreal bridge from Remco 😲 Evenepoel caught up with an attack from Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu Van der Poel and Santiago Buitrago on his own on Stage 1 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. — Velon CC (@VelonCC) June 8, 2025 And Buitrago? To his credit, he grimly hung on. Come Saturday, all four of these modern giants will be on the start line for the Tour de France, in one of the most anticipated editions of the race for years. Can Van der Poel take yellow and/or stage wins in a first week that appears made for him? Will Pogacar or Vingegaard triumph in the latest chapter of a rivalry that is already one of cycling's greatest? Has double Olympic champion Evenepoel closed the gap? Midway through Wimbledon, it is easy to draw parallels with tennis' golden age — the four-way battle of the 2000s and 2010s between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. It begs the question: Is this cycling's own Big Four era? There is genuine warmth in Fabian Cancellara's voice as he discusses the quartet. One of the greatest riders of the previous generation, a former World and Olympic champion who won seven Monuments and 11 Grand Tour stages across his career, he is now a directeur sportif at Tudor Cycling, who will, in all likelihood, see several bids for stage victories stymied by the quartet. Advertisement But Cancellara sometimes refers to the riders by their first names as if they were part of his team. 'We now have, not a golden four, but we have Vingegaard, Tadej, Remco, and Van der Poel who have just stood out against the rest,' Cancellara tells The Athletic. 'There is (Wout) Van Aert too, a little bit. But the others? It's not the same battle. 'But the sport needs it. Sport lives for icons, it lives for battles. After my career (Cancellara retired in 2016), there were a few years without those big stars, somebody who stepped out of the shadows. But they have just raised the battles we see.' Cancellara's allusion to Van Aert showcases the temptation to include other riders. Van Aert has outperformed Van der Poel at Grand Tours, with the Belgian reminding the world of his innate class at May's Giro d'Italia despite two years of indifferent form. The Big Four classification also ignores Primoz Roglic, the 35-year-old who, for now at least, possesses more Grand Tour victories (five) than both Vingegaard (two) and his fellow Slovenian Pogacar (four). But he has not seriously challenged Pogacar or Vingegaard since Pogacar beat him in devastating fashion on the final time-trial of the 2020 Tour, instead racking up wins at the Vuelta a Espana, where neither of his rivals raced. For most, however, Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Van der Poel stand alone, and their palmares prove it. Since 2022, Van der Poel (eight), Pogacar (eight), and Evenepoel (four) have won 20 of the last 23 major one-day races (monuments and world championship/Olympic events) they have entered. Vingegaard, in the same period, has won two editions of the Tour de France. And it is not just what they win, but how they win. With the 1990s and 2000s stained by multiple doping scandals, and the 2010s dominated by the tightly controlled — and often dull — races of the Team Sky era, cycling needed a boost. Advertisement This quartet rides in a far more aggressive style than previous eras, unafraid to split the race with solo attacks from 100km out. Pogacar and Evenepoel specialise in these attacks — but even Vingegaard, naturally the most conservative rider of the four, attacked early on in an innocuous stage at this year's Dauphine. 'It's a little like the wine, you know?' says Patrick Lefevere, one of the most successful managers in cycling history. Until his retirement last year, he led Evenepoel's Soudal-Quickstep team. 'It's a 'Grand Cru Exceptionnelle' — a special crop. These riders have only been here for four or five years but they're dominating the races. Before we had the Merckx era, the Miguel Indurain era, the Lance Armstrong era. But they had strong teams and dictated the speed of the group. 'Now, these young guys, they attack from anywhere. They don't care. They want to race. It's a real positive for cycling.' During the 'Big Four' era of men's tennis, while one player was often in the ascendancy at any given moment — loosely, Federer in the mid-noughties, Nadal from 2008-2011, Djokovic during the 2010s — the attraction was that any player could, on their day, take down any of the others. Even Murray, the weakest of the four, claimed significant wins against each of his rivals over the years. The same is true in this era of cycling. Though Pogacar is considered the sport's dominant force, Vingegaard beat him head-to-head at the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Tour de France. This spring, Van der Poel and Pogacar each won two Monuments. Evenepoel, having won the time-trial at the last Olympics, World Championships and Tour de France, is that field's dominant force, and is arguably still the only general classification (GC) contender with the physical potential to take it to Pogacar and Vingegaard in the high mountains. This is what forms genuinely era-defining rivalries. To take Vingegaard and Pogacar, no two riders had ever previously finished one-two at the Tour in three successive editions. The Dane and the Slovenian have now done it four times in a row — and it would be a surprise if they failed to make it five this summer. There is an argument to be made that their rivalry is already cycling's greatest of all time. In the past, Merckx, Indurain and Bernard Hinault lacked a true competitor. Greg Lemond's emergence came with Hinault on the wane, while Laurent Fignon's brilliance came when Hinault was absent (1983) and battling back from injury (1984). Advertisement Jacques Anquetil battled with his fellow Frenchman Poulidor, but emerged victorious every time. The best comparison probably takes the cycling historian all the way back to the Italian pair of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali — but even then, the pair only shared the podium twice, with a five-year age gap between them and the Second World War denying Bartali several years at his peak. Enticingly, at this summer's Tour, Pogacar and Vingegaard are both at full fitness for the first time in three years. Pogacar had only recently recovered from a broken wrist sustained at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2023, and Vingegaard from suffering a career-threatening injury at Itzulia Basque Country last season. Even their meetings in 2021 and 2022 come with caveats — 2021 began with Vingegaard as a domestique for Roglic, while Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates squad was clearly outmatched by Visma in 2022. Both riders and their teams have bullishly asserted that they are producing their best-ever numbers — even within this Big Four, echelons have begun to form. 'It seems the high tempo setting is a training pace for them,' Evenepoel said of his rivals after being dropped during the Dauphine. 'Sometimes it discourages me when I see them pushing hard, when I'm already at my limit. That's what happened again today.' And in the same way that all-time greats shift the principles of the game — Steph Curry and the explosion of the three-pointer, Michael Vick and the birth of the mobile quarterback — the sport is now beginning to look different. Fewer teams are targeting the GC, knowing they cannot realistically compete with these riders. Take the 2019 Tour de France, the last edition pre-Pogacar. Back then, arguably eight riders entered with realistic hopes of overall victory, with teams built around them. This year? Outside Pogacar and Vingegaard, only Roglic and Florian Lipowitz's Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have fully committed to the GC battle. Instead, teams have split their line-up between offering light support for podium hopefuls and fielding stage hunters and sprinters. Several podium contenders — UAE's Joao Almeida, and Visma's Matteo Jorgenson and Simon Yates — are superdomestiques for Pogacar and Vingegaard rather than team leaders in their own right. After losing out on the Tour de Suisse title to Almeida, Kevin Vauquelin, who rides for the relatively small Arkea–B&B Hotels team, told French newspaper L'Equipe that 'against teams like UAE, it's not the same', due to financial disparities. UAE have won seven of the nine week-long stage races this year. Advertisement Speaking to The Athletic last month, before withdrawing from the Tour with a stomach bug, third-place Giro d'Italia finisher Richard Carapaz said that he was targeting the mountains classification rather than GC, knowing he and his team couldn't contend with Pogacar, Vingegaard and the strength of their respective teams. 'To go for the general classification would be a little absurd,' he explained. 'We're going to do things that we can do.' But Carapaz is proud of having straddled the previous generation and this new, tougher era. 'It's a new generation,' he explains. 'And I think it could be the best in history, because we see how versatile the cyclists are. The strategies are very different, the race is far more aggressive. Now, every part of the race is disputed. It is beautiful and good; it's a privilege to race against the best in the world. 'We're in a golden age, and everyone who is part of it should be applauded.' But this disparity has led to complaints, especially against Pogacar's apparent domination. The Slovenian is intent on entering (and winning) almost every race on the calendar, including classics typically unsuited to Grand Tour climbers, leading some fans to label this season processional. Complaints were at their highest after this year's edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, where the peloton appeared to give up on beating him — passively allowing him to go up the road on the Cote de la Redoute, and instead scrapping between themselves for the minor placings. In the 27 UCI-ranked stage races he has entered since turning professional, Pogacar has finished on the podium 23 times, and only finished outside the top six once. For some, the close, see-saw battle between second-tier GC riders at the Giro d'Italia was a better display of cycling's nuance and appeal. Advertisement But this is a simplistic way of looking at Pogacar's genius. A sport without him? There is an alternative reality where Vingegaard would now be aiming for his fifth successive Tour victory, Van der Poel would have swept the classics, and Evenepoel would be double world champion as well as double Olympic gold medalist. It is that tension that makes these rivalries classics. 'Eddy Merckx was 80 this week,' says Lefevere of his fellow Belgian, asked if he can appreciate why some find Pogacar's dominance frustrating. 'There were special programmes looking back at his career, and it was clear — if you win too much, you are not popular. 'Jacques Anquetil won five times at the Tour, but Raymond Poulidor was more popular because he was the other guy. But nobody at the Tour is a bad rider, you cannot be gifted things for free. It's simple. If you aren't as good as him, you're dropped.' Whether that will be played out over the next three weeks remains to be seen. Arguably, the 2025 Tour route is a gallery of Pogacar's most painful defeats — the final week sees riders tackle both Mont Ventoux and the Col de la Loze, where Vingegaard has twice dropped his rival en route to overall victory. All three GC contenders of the Big Four — Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel — have been insistent publicly that they are in the best shape of their lives, hitting power numbers they have not seen before. At last month's Dauphine, Pogacar was again the compelling force as he took the overall victory, but Vingegaard appeared to ride within himself, while one time-trial wobble may have been a minor concern to the eventual winner. The existence of this debate is what cycling needs. Sports thrive on characters, competitors who push the boundaries. Think of Formula One's resurgence during Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's 2021 duel, the revitalisation of the NBA during the Lakers vs Celtics duels of the 1980s, or Great Britain being captivated at the same time by the middle-distance battle between Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett at the 1980 Olympics. Vingegaard and Pogacar may appear different personalities — the gregarious and laidback Balkan against the stoic and calculating Dane (an aside that only garnishes their rivalry) — but the two have similarities too. They are obsessive, private, and fiercely protective of their team-mates. In one powerful moment from the 2022 Tour, Vingegaard waited for Pogacar after the latter crashed on a descent, the pair shaking hands when they reunited. In recompense, Pogacar refused to attack Vingegaard later on the descent, appearing to defy his UAE Team Emirates team car. 💥 Quelques instants après une frayeur sans conséquence pour Vingegaard, Pogacar tombe ! Le maillot jaune l'attend et le double tenant du titre salue son attitude 🤝 #TDF2022 #LesRP — Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 21, 2022 Famously, Coppi and Bartali once shared a bottle on the Col du Galibier in the 1952 Tour. The photograph of the moment is legendary, mainly because it remains unclear which rider is passing the bottle to the other. Vingegaard and Pogacar have already had that moment. 'If I was racing without him, it wouldn't be the same,' Vingegaard said this season. 'Hopefully, he feels similar. I actually enjoy having a rival like him.' (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Luc Claessen; Dario Belingheri; Tim de Waele; Dario Belingheri / Getty Images)
New York Times
41 minutes ago
- New York Times
The return of Paul Pogba – no vengeance, no regret, but the hard work starts now at Monaco
Paul Pogba is back — but not as you know him. Six hundred and sixty-nine days after his last appearance as a professional footballer — and following a shortened doping ban — the 32-year-old French midfielder was presented as a Monaco player on Thursday. When Pogba rejoined Manchester United for a then-world record €110million (£94.7m; $130m at current rates) fee in 2016, the Premier League side announced his signing with the hashtag #POGBACK across social media platforms. One video showed a hooded figure holding a ball before revealing himself to be Pogba, a red devil shaved into his dyed blonde hair. Another from Adidas featured him dancing to Stormzy lyrics. Advertisement The announcement of his Monaco signing was very different. There was some of Pogba's usual bravado in a video entitled 'La Renaissance' — rebirth — which showed his face being carved into a rockface, Mount Rushmore style. He joked around while holding a pickaxe, a reference to the literal translation of his nickname 'la pioche' — a joker, in Pogba's case. French fans once serenaded him as that after their 2018 World Cup win. But the clip that went viral was far more private. It showed Pogba fighting back tears as he signed his new Monaco deal, with the club's chief executive Thiago Scuro watching on. 'Thanks for the trust,' Pogba says in English, once he has regained some of his composure. 🥹 — AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) June 28, 2025 What was going through his head in that moment? 'It's true you saw a lot of emotion. It's very rare to see me cry like that, so I hope you enjoyed it,' Pogba said with a laugh at his Monaco presentation. 'A lot of images came into my head. The story of doping, injuries and so on, to come back and sign for a club that believed in me. All that came back when I was signing the contract. I couldn't hold back. It was a moment of joy, too, and that was important for me. A lot of determination, but also a lot of joy.' Some things never change with Pogba. He still attracts media attention like almost no other player, silencing Monaco's packed press room as soon as he walked in. He also commands the same respect from fellow pros. Just look at the love heart emojis posted under that video of him crying by former team-mates such as Raphael Varane and Paulo Dybala. Or how fellow Monaco signings Eric Dier and Ansu Fati spoke about him in their presentations on Thursday. Dier called his arrival a 'great thing for the club and for the league', while Fati said he had admired Pogba since he was a kid at Barcelona's academy. Advertisement Pogba said he still likes dancing, haircuts and nice clothes. He spoke of his wish for his three kids to celebrate one of his goals with a 'dab' (below, with Jesse Lingard), a reminder of a bygone era when he had the world at his feet. He laughed and joked with reporters while speaking of the importance of living in the present. But it was hard to believe him when he said he was 'the same Paul Pogba, but with another, maybe bigger determination'. After all, so much has happened since that return to United, the club he once joined as a youngster from French side Le Havre. He lifted the Europa League and the League Cup in that second spell at Old Trafford but often incurred fans' wrath for mixed performances. Then there was an ill-fated return to Juventus, where he made just 10 appearances in his first season back, even before the doping ban, due to repeated injuries. Off the pitch, that sanction capped an extremely turbulent few years. In 2022, Pogba was the victim of an extortion attempt by his brother Mathias, who was handed a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty in December 2024. Then, in February 2024, Pogba received a four-year suspension for a failed doping test the previous August, seemingly marking the end of his elite career at 30. His last game before that ban was a 2-0 win for Juventus against Empoli in September 2023. The test, carried out after a game against Udinese the month before, detected testosterone not produced in the body. At the time, Pogba said he felt 'sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me' and vowed to clear his name. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) eventually ruled he had ingested the substance dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) unintentionally after 'erroneously' taking a supplement prescribed by a Florida doctor. According to CAS, he had claimed to treat 'several high-level U.S. and international athletes' and had assured Pogba he would be 'mindful' of his anti-doping obligations. Pogba accepted he had committed a strict liability offence and, in October, his ban was cut to 18 months, meaning he could return to training in January this year and play competitively again in March. The question was: where? Even playing again did not seem guaranteed when he had his Juventus contract terminated by mutual agreement in November. Advertisement 'It's true there were moments or times of doubt when in my head there was an angel and devil, let's say: 'Are you going to return, maybe not, maybe it's finished',' Pogba said. 'It was difficult at times. But my family, above all my wife, pushed me (by saying), 'You're going to return, you're going to be back on the pitch'. There were always people around me who (said), 'No, Paul, this will pass'.' What was his day-to-day life like? 'Dropping the kids off at school,' he said with a smile. 'I was a very present dad. And after that, I'd go to training and then pick the kids up from school. I spent a lot of time with my family and training. When I travelled, I travelled with my trainer, and I tried not to go three days without training. Because I told myself that it (signing for a club) could happen at any time. I always had this positive thought in my head that I wanted to get back on the pitch.' Monaco presented an enticing project to Pogba, who has never played professionally for a team in France's leagues. Scuro, their CEO, spoke of the midfielder's experience and mentality, referring to Pogba's desire to return to the France squad for next summer's World Cup. But Scuro urged caution, too, explaining how Monaco are implementing a specialised three-month plan to get Pogba up to speed again. The midfielder expressed his desire to play in their opening Ligue 1 game against his boyhood side Le Havre on the weekend of August 17, before Scuro knocked that down in his separate briefing with reporters. 'There's nothing 100 per cent but I can guarantee you he's not able to be on the pitch against Le Havre, he was probably joking,' Scuro said. 'This has to be something very outstanding to happen. 'He was training by himself. In terms of load and intensity, it's very hard to reproduce being in an environment of a top club. It's a team sport, it's very hard for you to have 20 guys on the same level as you, challenging you in terms of intensity and technical decision-making. 'It's about building him physically first, then step by step going onto the pitch, getting used to the load of training and the intensity of our training sessions. The last stage of the building-up is to be able to train with the group, then you can increase the load.' The only apparent needle from Pogba came when he answered a question in Italian about his old side, Juventus. 'Juve is still in my heart,' he said. 'Lots of things happened. Some things were good, others less good. Andrea Agnelli (the former Juventus chairman) sent me text messages, that was support. When I didn't receive it, that was different. I've always loved Juve, I will always love them, but the past is the past. I don't want to talk about a war, there's no war.' Advertisement He declined to speak about other offers he received, saying, 'I don't regret anything'. And there was a similar, Edith Piaf-like sentiment when he was asked whether he was vengeful about his experience since that failed doping test. 'I'm not vengeful, I'm grateful because it helped me to grow, it helped me see real life, what can happen in life,' he said. 'I've got no revenge to take out on anyone, I'm just happy to be back on the pitch and do what I enjoy the most in the world.' Time will tell if he can return to the smiling Pogba of old there, too.
