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‘Football is beautiful, but it’s cruel’: the sadness of Paul Pogba’s decline | Jonathan Wilson

12-Sep-2023 11:31:11 | The Guardian

Whatever happens with his doping case, do not forget just how talented he was before the injuries and tactical struggles

“Sometimes,” Paul Pogba said, “I don’t want to have money any more. I just don’t want to play any more. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money. Sometimes it’s tough.” That was Pogba speaking to Al-Jazeera in an interview released on Sunday . A day later, he tested positive for excess non-endogenous testosterone metabolites.

It’s just over seven years since Manchester United broke the world transfer record to re-sign Paul Pogba. He was 23, had won four Serie A titles and had been named young player of the tournament at the previous World Cup. Since then, with the very notable exception of winning the 2018 World Cup, it feels like nothing has gone right for him.