Paul Pogbawho is a Monaco player after serving an 18-month doping ban, has confessed on the podcast ‘Rio Ferdinand presents‘ the reasons for his divorce from Jose Mourinho when they were together at Manchester United. The 33-year-old French midfielder claims Mourinho has snapped after constant questions about his injury problems and future at Old Trafford.
I don’t want to be rude, I have no problem with any coach. I always respect them. That is the truth. They are bosses
Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United in 2016 in a transfer worth more than €100 million, and Mourinho ended up leaving the Red Devils bench in December 2018.
“I don’t want to be rude, I have no problem with any coach. I always respect them, I always respect them. They tell me what to do. They are the bosses. That’s the truth. They are the bosses. They decide if you play or not,” said the Frenchman.
Pogba: “At first, Mourinho and I got along really well, we texted each other. He’s a very funny guy.”
Paul Pogba spoke about his relationship with Mourinho: “In the beginning we got along really well, we texted each other and stuff. He’s a really funny guy. He’s very special, to be honest. And after a while I think injuries caused that (distance in the relationship).”
“When the media kept asking him about me, maybe that makes him think, ‘Is he done?’ And that’s my problem too: like many people, they love to ask about me. Always Paul, Paul, Paul, and that probably pissed him off,” he said.
Paparazzi took a picture of Zulay and me. Mou sent the picture to Mino… I said ‘who do you think I am?'”
Paul Pogba confirmed it his relationship with Mourinho began to deteriorate when the Portuguese coach sent a photo of him along his wife (Zulay) to his agent, Mino Raiola, while he was recovering from injury, which angered the player.
“It all started when I got injured. I said I was going to Miami for rehabilitation. Paparazzi took a picture of Zulay and me. Mou sent the picture to Mino. I didn’t like it at all. He said I was on holiday when we were working like crazy. I said to Mourinho: “Really? I’m hurt. I train three times a day here. Who do you think I am here?’ It was the first time I had a problem with my coach,” said Pogba Amazon Prime Video in 2022.
Mou’s intention with that photo was to question Pogba’s decision to take a break to rehabilitate in the United States.
Mourinho called Pogba a “virus” and the two ended up arguing in training
According to the French footballer, Mourinho confirmed the break with him by doing so strip him of the vice-captaincy and make sarcastic comments about their performance. Mou even went so far as to call Pogba a ‘virus’.
The relationship between Pogba and Mourinho finally ended after cameras caught an argument between the two during practice.
Pogba broke his contract at United before leaving Old Trafford on a free agent to rejoin Juventus in the summer of 2022.