Paul Pogba opens up on his relationship with Jose Mourinho after the pair were on frosty terms during their time together at Manchester United.
After coming through Manchester United’s academy, Paul Pogba had two separate spells at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman left United in search of first-team football before establishing himself as one of Europe’s brightest stars at Juventus.
Pogba returned to Old Trafford in 2016 in a deal worth £89 million shortly after Jose Mourinho was named United’s manager to succeed Louis van Gaal. He didn’t always see eye-to-eye with the Portuguese coach.
Where did it all go wrong for Paul Pogba at Manchester United?
Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho joke about Man Utd dispute
Pogba suggests he is now on better terms with Mourinho after explaining how one of their disputes was blown out of proportion.
Things had started well with Pogba and Mourinho as United won the Carabao Cup and Europa League during their first season together.
However, the relationship between Pogba and Mourinho appeared to break down in 2018.
Pogba has told ESN Media that he now jokes with Mourinho about their falling out.
“With Mourinho… even today, when I see him again, we laugh about it,” Pogba said.
“But there was this moment after a cup match where I didn’t play. We were winning 1–0 at half-time, and I posted a celebration when the team scored.
“The thing is, at some stadiums, there was no signal, so I didn’t realise the video hadn’t uploaded to Instagram yet. Sometimes you have to leave the stadium and repost it for it to go through. So as soon as I left the stadium, I pressed upload again.
“But the coach saw it later—after the match, when we’d ended up losing to Derby.
“So afterwards, he waited for me outside where the cameras were. And I come in, you know me, smiling, saying hello to everyone. Then I go to greet him, and he looks at me and says: ‘You… you were against us. You were happy we lost.’
“And I’m looking at him like: ‘What are you talking about?’
“He says: ‘You posted a video when we lost.’
“I said: ‘No! I posted it when we scored.’
“Even I was confused. I was with Luke Shaw and Andreas Pereira, and I’m thinking, ‘What is he even talking about?’
“Then Mourinho calls the media guy over: ‘Paul posted this, right?’
“The guy says: ‘Yeah, he posted a video.’
“I said: ‘Yes, a video of the goal!’
“And the guy repeats: ‘Yeah, he posted a video of the goal.’
“Then Mourinho looks at him like that, and basically says: ‘Well then, why did you tell me all this?’
“And because there were cameras there, the whole thing came out publicly, even though there was actually nothing to it. I hadn’t done anything wrong.”
Mourinho was sacked by United in 2018, but Pogba remained until 2022.
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Paul Pogba missed Monaco’s last game of the season
Pogba’s underwhelming campaign at Monaco came to a premature end after the midfielder missed Monaco’s final match of the season against Strasbourg.
The former United star played no part in Monaco’s 5-4 defeat, marking a disappointing conclusion to a year plagued by setbacks.
Pogba missed the defeat against Strasbourg with a thigh injury.
The 33-year-old has one-year left on his Monaco contract.
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Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid latest
Mourinho is on the verge of leaving Benfica to take over a Real Madrid side looking to rebuild after a disappointing trophyless campaign.
This means Mourinho is set for a second spell at Real Madrid, where the former United boss previously won three trophies, including the La Liga title in 2012.
According to ESPN, Real Madrid plans to announce the return of Mourinho as coach when the season ends.
Real Madrid hosts Athletic Club at the Bernabeu on Saturday, meaning an announcement could be made on Sunday or Monday.
Reports suggest Mourinho has agreed on a deal to take over at the Bernabeu, with a two-year contract being proposed by the Spanish giants.
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