Paul Pogba Savours Zidane Link-Up Before Monaco Return

Paul Pogba could not wipe the grin from his face as he laced up his boots next to Zinedine Zidane and other legends of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning side, a moment that crystallised how far the midfielder has come since his darkest days under a doping suspension.

Paul Pogba finds joy alongside Zidane and 1998 icons

Paul Pogba always idolised Zidane, Barthez, Thuram and Petit while coming through the Clairefontaine academy. Sharing a pitch with them at an adidas heritage event in Paris felt like a childhood fantasy brought to life. Cameras captured Pogba trading no-look passes with Zidane, laughing as Barthez joked about his old ponytail, and embracing Lilian Thuram after a lofted through-ball found its mark.

For Pogba, who lifted the World Cup himself in 2018, the kick-about was more than nostalgia. It was a reminder of happier times, a spark that reignited his competitive fire after an 18-month exile from competitive football.

The winding road from doping ban to Monaco lifeline

When UEFA testers flagged elevated testosterone levels in 2023, Paul Pogba’s career appeared to be derailing. A provisional four-year ban loomed; sponsors wavered; Juventus tore up his contract. Months of legal wrangling eventually cut the punishment to 18 months, but the reputational damage lingered.

During the enforced lay-off, Pogba trained in private with trusted fitness coach Xavier Bernain, focusing on mobility drills, core stability and low-impact ball work to protect a chronically troublesome knee. According to sources close to the player, the 32-year-old shed nearly four kilograms of unnecessary mass and improved his body-fat percentage to the best level since his first stint at Manchester United.

Monaco’s calculated gamble

AS Monaco moved swiftly once the ban expired, offering a performance-laden two-year deal that suits all parties. Sporting director Thiago Scuro highlighted Pogba’s leadership qualities and big-match pedigree, while head coach Adi Hütter envisions him as the left-sided No. 8 in Monaco’s fluid 3-4-2-1 shape. The principality club, renowned for resuscitating reputations, will stagger appearance bonuses to mitigate risk and inserted a clause allowing for a one-year extension if Pogba hits 25 league starts.

Training ground impressions in the principality

Early sessions at La Turbie have been encouraging. Team-mate Youssouf Fofana revealed that Paul Pogba “passes like nobody else in Ligue 1” and “lifts the level of training every day.” Fitness staff monitor his workload via GPS vests, capping high-intensity sprints at 80 percent during the re-integration phase.

Analysts believe Pogba’s vision could unlock Wissam Ben Yedder and rising star Eliesse Ben Seghir between the lines. Monaco supporters, remembering the swagger of James Rodríguez and Bernardo Silva, are already dreaming of another talismanic playmaker lighting up the Stade Louis II.

Framing the comeback narrative

Commercially, the signing is a coup. Shirt sales bearing “Pogba 6” spiked 240 percent in the club store’s first 48 hours. Social-media engagement soared as Pogba posted a training-ground selfie captioned “new chapter, same hunger,” drawing 2.3 million likes.

On the pitch, however, questions remain. Can the Frenchman stay fit across a gruelling campaign that includes Europa League qualifiers? Can he adapt to Hütter’s aggressive counter-press after years in possession-heavy systems? Technical staff believe his long passing range will spearhead fast transitions, but defensive positioning will require repetition and video work.

Zidane’s mentorship offers timely perspective

Paul Pogba confided that a quiet conversation with Zidane after the Paris exhibition left a lasting mark. Zidane advised him to “play simple, smile, and remember why you fell in love with football.” The message resonated with a player who has often been weighed down by price tags, social-media noise and tactical restrictions.

Zidane’s own story—missteps included—serves as a blueprint for channeling adversity into excellence. Observers noted Pogba’s lighter demeanour in subsequent Monaco sessions, cracking jokes with the kit man and volunteering extra time with academy prospects.

What success would look like

Realistic benchmarks for Pogba’s first season in red and white include:
• 2,000 league minutes without major injury
• Five goals and eight assists across all competitions
• A top-three Ligue 1 finish, plus a deep domestic-cup run

Achieving those targets would restore his standing in Didier Deschamps’ national-team plans ahead of Euro 2025 qualifying, a prospect Pogba describes as “an obsession.”

Paul Pogba and the road back to Les Bleus

Deschamps has publicly maintained that the door remains open. With N’Golo Kanté ageing and Aurélien Tchouaméni carrying recurrent knocks, a fit and focused Paul Pogba instantly strengthens France’s midfield mix. Scouts from the federation are scheduled to attend Monaco’s early fixtures against Rennes and Lyon to gauge fitness and attitude.

Commercial, cultural and personal stakes

Beyond trophies, Pogba’s redemption arc carries cultural weight. Once the face of multicultural French football, he endured online abuse during his legal turmoil. Re-emergence at Monaco, club of Henry and Mbappé before him, offers a stage to inspire a new generation.

Economically, a strong Pogba season could trigger lucrative endorsement renewals with Adidas and Pepsi, both reportedly prepared to re-activate clauses if he completes 75 percent of club matches.

The numbers behind the narrative

• Career appearances: 464
• Major honours: 1 World Cup, 4 Serie A titles, 2 League Cups
• Last competitive match: 14 May 2023 (Juventus vs. Cremonese)
• Days between bans and Monaco debut (projected): 548

Opinion: A necessary risk worth taking

Signing Paul Pogba is not without peril—Monaco’s wage bill tightens under UEFA’s financial-sustainability rules, and the midfielder’s injury ledger is extensive. Yet football is built on calculated gambles, and few players blend charisma, vision and big-match pedigree like Pogba at full flight. If the principality club manage his minutes wisely and surround him with disciplined runners, they may unlock one of the most gifted French midfielders of his generation and, in the process, craft the comeback story the sport has been craving.