Welcome Back, Paul Pogba: The Return of a Juventus Icon
On a hot July evening in 2022, the city of Turin was abuzz with excitement. After six years away, Paul Pogba had announced his return to Juventus, the club where he had become a household name. Fans celebrated the so-called ‘Pogback’, hoping it would bring back the glory days of four consecutive domestic titles and two Champions League finals.
The following day, fans descended on the JMedical centre to welcome Pogba and fellow new arrival, 34-year-old Angel di Maria. With Massimiliano Allegri at the helm and Pogba in midfield, many believed that Juventus were finally on their way back to European glory.
However, twelve months later, little is left of the ambitions of that summer day. Pogba’s return has been a disaster from the start, with injuries and disciplinary issues plaguing his time at the club. After 390 days without a starting spot, Pogba was finally ready to savour one – but it only lasted 24 minutes before he was forced off with a thigh injury.
The ‘Pogback’ amounted to 108 minutes over six Serie A games, three matches and one assist in the Europa League, and 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia – a total of 161 minutes and no goals. With the highest wage of all Juve players, Pogba has cost the club about £56,000 per minute this season.
Can it get any better soon?
Pogba has spoken recently about how he feels many of his physical problems stemmed from how he was feeling mentally. “When you are not well in the head, the body follows,” the 30-year-old told French magazine Views.”I was stressed, my body was tense. And I wanted so much to come back quickly, to play and show people, to shut everyone up a bit.”
Juventus’ chief football officer Francesco Calvo has said that the club will not drop Pogba and they still believe in him. However, there is a feeling that too many things have happened since he left Juventus in 2016 – two operations on his right ankle and knee, his brother being investigated over an alleged plot to extort money from him, and his frustrating series of injuries and short comebacks.
What Pogba needs is a complete reset, physically and mentally, but what remains in the minds of Juventus fans is those tears against Cremonese and whether a full recovery is possible.
The Future of Paul Pogba at Juventus
Despite trying to avoid surgery last summer, Pogba was unlucky with his injuries. There has been talk among fans that Pogba should voluntarily lower his wages, but with his contract running out on 30 June 2026, the only realistic thing to do is to look forward and try to forget what happened.
Which club would gamble on him now and pay his sizeable wages? With so many setbacks in such a short space of time, it’s hard to imagine any team taking a chance on Pogba. His immediate future appears to be at Juventus, and fans will be hoping that he can put his injury woes behind him and return to form.
Conclusion
Paul Pogba’s return to Juventus has been a disaster from the start. Despite being welcomed back with open arms by fans, injuries and disciplinary issues have plagued his time at the club. With his contract running out in 2026, it’s hard to imagine any other team taking a chance on him. His immediate future appears to be at Juventus, and fans will be hoping that he can put his injury woes behind him and return to form.