Paul Pogba made his return to football on the evening of 22/11, coming on in the 85th minute for Monaco in their Ligue 1 clash against Rennes. Despite his brief appearance, the 32-year-old midfielder made a positive impression, showcasing tactical vision and delivering accurate long passes as a deep-lying midfielder. His performance also helped Monaco avoid conceding further goals and narrowed the deficit.

The match, held at Roazhon Park, saw hosts Rennes play spectacularly, scoring four consecutive goals through Ait Boudlal (20th minute), Mahdi Camara (48th), Breel Embolo (73rd), and Ludovic Blas (83rd). Monaco only managed to pull one goal back courtesy of Mika Biereth (90+5), resulting in a 1-4 defeat.

Pogba returned in Monaco's loss to Rennes in Ligue 1's 13th round on the evening of 22/11. Photo: SF

Pogba's long absence from the pitch began after his previous match on 3/9/2023, while playing for Juventus. He was subsequently banned from playing for four years due to a test showing abnormally high testosterone levels. In 10/2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban to 18 months. Pogba signed a two-year contract with Monaco last summer, but a minor injury and the need to regain fitness further delayed his anticipated return.

Throughout his career, Pogba has played for top clubs like Man Utd and Juventus. In 2016, he set a transfer record with his 116 million USD move to Old Trafford. His impressive list of accolades includes four Serie A titles with Juventus, the Europa League with Man Utd, the 2018 World Cup, and the 2021 Nations League with the French national team.

"I feel relieved to be playing again", Pogba said. "This is what I love most. However, I still have much work to do to regain my best fitness, play a full 90 minutes, and help the team".

Monaco currently ranks 8th in Ligue 1 with 20 points after 13 matches, two points behind the top 4. In the Champions League group stage, they rank 19th among 36 teams after one win, two draws, and one loss.

Thanh Quy