‘Completely destroyed’ – Paul Pogba a ‘disaster’ since Man Utd exit

Emmanuel Petit says Paul Pogba has been a “disaster” since leaving Manchester United and suggested he should retire if hit with a ban for doping.

The 30-year-old Juventus midfielder is currently training alone in Turin after being handed a precautionary suspension by the Anti-Doping Tribunal in Italy for testing positive for testosterone.

Pogba is now waiting for counter-analysis results, which will arrive on October 5, after receiving the initial positive test earlier in September.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogba is working alone at a villa in Turin, which used to be home to former Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, until the situation is resolved. The French international has access to a pool, gym and an outdoor pitch in order to maintain his fitness.

If the World Cup winner is not cleared following the second sample given, a fresh investigation will then take place into the supplements he has ingested, which he was reportedly advised to take by an American doctor. Pogba could face a ban from football of up to four years if found guilty.

Speaking to Betway, former Arsenal man Petit urged Pogba to retire if the worst case scenario does indeed come to fruition, while suggesting his career has been on a downward slope since his 2022 exit from Manchester United.

Petit said: “Paul Pogba should definitely retire if he is given a four-year ban. When you are suspended for that long, you can’t even come to the training ground. That leaves you going to the gym or the park with no teammates, no balls, nothing. Four years for a 30-year-old player is a long time.

“His time at Manchester United didn’t end well, and in France, we think he’s been a disaster since then. Forget football, forget money, it’s a disaster for him. He’s completely destroyed. He’s nothing like the Pogba we used to know. There’s no way he’ll be back in high-level football.”

Pogba’s second spell at Juventus has also been overshadowed by a series of injuries, as he has only been available to feature in eight Serie A matches across the past two seasons