Pogba disrespected the team that made him

When Paul Pogba left Manchester United for Juventus, he was a 19-year-old boy with nothing on his CV. Today, he returns a man and he has the Italian giants to thank for that.

After picking him up on a free transfer, not much was known about Paul Pogba. Everyone knew he had immense potential and everyone knew he had fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson. However, when he took the field for the first time it was clear for everyone to see: The kid could play. Soon his fallout with Manchester United and his reported attitude issues had faded into the background and Pogba became a regular in the team. Fast forward four seasons into the future and Pogba at the age of 23, has won four Scudetti, two Coppa Italias and has been to one Champions League final. From being a relatively unknown youngster discarded by Manchester United to being one of the best in his position in the world. And instead of paying respect to the team that made him who he is today, Pogba opted for cryptic messages and silence throughout the whole saga.

What’s even more frustrating for Juventus fans is the music video released by the English rapper Stormzy that announced Pogba’s move to Manchester United. While the video itself is cringe worthy, that itself is not the problem. The main issue with it is that it was recorded back in May. Essentially, it was recorded around the time Pogba went under the curva and sung “Don’t sell Pogba,” with the fans.

Another issue with this is the saga itself. If the transfer had been settled a few months back, why let it drag on deep into August? The answer is very simple. It’s all about the money. Adidas, who sponsor Juventus and Manchester United, have milked this story to its fullest. Embarrassing ad campaigns, over-the-top posters and commercials that kept telling us not to buy into the “blah,blah,blah.” In case you hadn’t realized, the “blah,blah,blah” turned out to be the truth. In any case, over the past month or so Pogba and Adidas, Juve’s shirt sponsor, have blatantly disrespected the club. While being taken for a ride by Adidas is not something the Italian champions should put up with for much longer, Pogba’s attitude over the past month has been just as bad if not worse. And here’s why.

If Pogba doesn’t join Juventus four years ago and continues to bounce around the Manchester United youth academy, there’s no saying which path his career would take. Juventus provided him a home when he was kicked out of his and nurtured him into a top player. Pogba could have very well joined another team and done the same but there are no guarantees in this sport. Simply put, Pogba’s recent behaviour has been downright shameful. All this after being given Juve’s historic #10 just a season before leaving. He’s come to treat himself as more of a brand than a footballer but that should come as no surprise when Mino Raiola is pulling the strings in the background.

After the move was announced, Pogba took to social media and released a compilation of his time at Juve along with a goodbye message thanking those that have helped him grow over the past years. While tacky videos help some fans forget, it sure doesn’t justify how he’s been acting lately. In addition, one thing Pogba said in his first interview as a Red was essentially a spit in the face towards Juve. The French international is quoted as saying,:

“When I came back to Carrington, I felt like I just came home and I just went on holiday to Juventus.” 

Those were his exact words. Holiday. As if the last four seasons at Juventus, where he’s conquered the league and was within 90 minutes of winning the Champions League, have all been one, big holiday for him. Of course, Manchester United and their wonderful marketing team hopped onto the #Pogback train and it’s now become a thing. Pogba’s move to Manchester United is now being seen as him coming back home. In reality, it couldn’t be further from the truth. After being kicked out of his “home” where he made three appearances, he made it big. Following his stardom, the very people who kicked him out waved wads of money at him and now he’s suddenly “home.” In any case, let’s please stop saying he’s returning home as it quite frankly makes no sense. At the very least, this summer-long advertising campaign is finally over. 105 million euros go to Juventus and Pogba could finally return “home.” A win-win for everyone involved. However, the manner in which he left will forever stain what was an otherwise phenomenal four-year relationship between Pogba, Juve and the supporters. And empty goodbye messages and videos on Twitter and Instagram don’t change that