Posted in: 11/07/2022 – 17:28
Rome (AFP) – Juventus celebrated Monday the return of French “champion” Paul Pogba to its ranks, six years following his departure to Manchester United.
The 2018 World Cup champion returned in a free deal to the club, which witnessed his most prominent achievements within the green rectangle between 2012 and 2016, following an adventure free of feelings and important titles with the “Red Devils” who restored his services for 105 million euros, a record in that period, following he left them the first time for free, as happened now.
The Italian newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, reported that Pogba, 29, would receive a salary of eight million euros per season, in addition to two million euros in bonuses.
Juventus welcomed the return of its former player, saying on its official website, without specifying the term of the contract, “Paul returned to Turin, left as a young man, and returned following becoming a man and a hero.”
“But there is one thing that has not changed, which is the desire that together once once more write unforgettable pages in the history of the club,” the Turin giant added.
“Pogba is back and we mightn’t be happier,” he added.
Pogba, who was present on Sunday at the beginning of the group exercises for the players in Turin, decided to return to the team that excelled in his ranks and crowned him with four titles in the “Serie A”, and reached the Champions League final in 2015.
“Hello +Bianconeri… I’m back.”
And his former club, Manchester United, announced in early June the departure of the 2018 world champion following six years in its ranks.
Pogba posted a short video clip on Juventus’ Twitter account, in which he said: “Hello Bianconeri, as you can see, I’m back and I’m very happy to do so.”
“I am eager to resume my career with you and win new titles,” he added.
Pogba held the colors of Juventus for 5 years, following a first period with United, in which he graduated from the youth teams.
United returned Pogba to Old Trafford in 2016 with a world record deal at the time of 89 million pounds (112 million dollars), engineered by his agent Mino Raiola, who died last April.
His best period, if not miraculous, was with Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho when United won their last titles in 2017 by winning the European League “European League” and the English League Cup.
His physical problems led to him playing only 27 games for the team in all competitions, which ended last season disappointing him and the club that failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Pogba joined United’s junior team in 2009 at the age of 16, coming from Le Havre, and won the England Junior Cup with him, before rising to the first team in the 2011-2012 season and leaving at the end of it to Turin. The 2018-2019 season was his best in England under Mourinho’s supervision when he scored 16 goals in 47 matches.
Pogba is expected to wear the number 10 in Juventus, succeeding Argentine Paulo Dybala, who left the “old lady” at the end of last season following failing to reach an agreement with the management to renew his contract.
Pogba wore the number 10 in his last season with Juventus, to join a list of great stars who carried this number, such as his compatriot Michel Platini, Roberto Bago, Alessandro Del Piero and Ireland’s Liam Brady.
Pogba will work once more under the supervision of coach Massimiliano Allegri, who was responsible for his brilliance in the “old lady” following he replaced Antonio Conte in training the team in 2014.
Allegri hopes that Pogba will play a role in restoring the league title that Juventus ceded to neighbors Inter and Milan in the past two seasons.
Juventus appears to be one of the most active teams in the summer transfer market, as it previously included Argentine winger Angel Di Maria in a free transfer deal following the expiration of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, and is also seeking the services of international midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo from the capital club, Rome.
But he may lose the efforts of Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, who expressed a desire to leave, and Bayern Munich may be his next destination in a deal estimated between 80 and 85 million euros.
© 2022 AFP
