‘They weren’t very kind’… Paul Pogba hits out at former club for lack of support during suspension

Ahead of his return to competitive football, Pogba spoke about his time away and he hinted that he felt that lack of support from those he’d played with for years.

Speaking to the TF1 channel (via Gianlucadimarzio.com), Pogba raised the issue of how Juventus pulled away from him after the ban, saying: “My children were at school near the training centre, and I walked past it every day. It was too difficult,” he began.

“I thought I was at war against anti-doping, not against Juventus. I asked the club for the possibility of having massages and having an athletic trainer, but I was not granted it.

“I had the right, and I was always part of the team. They were not very kind to me, they did not support me, and I was shocked. I did not understand why.”

Pogba has always kept ties to United

It’s worth noting that while Pogba was banished from the Juventus camps, his ban didn’t apply to United, despite how things ended there.

If anything, Pogba found himself praised for mentioning United in interviews over his time away, while the same would not be received for referencing the club that he was still contracted to, Juventus.

It wasn’t the first example of such a thing, with Jonny Evans also training with United before signing a short-term deal at the club. That ended with two more trophies added to his name, and his career ending where it started, at Old Trafford.

As for Juventus, Pogba may not have meant to criticise them when referencing these quotes, but it’s certainly not a glowing review of their support during extenuating circumstances, speaking about how unwelcome they made him feel after the ban.

Meanwhile, he was often seen backing or posting about his love for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, praising others like Amad, or doing things to keep himself involved for the club that always looked after their own.

Very few footballers, if any at all, have spoken negatively about how United have treated their own – past and present – outside of the way the club is structured at the higher level.

While so many are eager to criticise United for the way they have been run – and that criticism is more than valid – it’s never about how the club treats the players. In that sense, it’s arguably always been one of the best run, even now.