Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to professional football on Saturday night, coming on midway through the second half of AS Monaco’s 4-1 defeat at Rennes.
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba finally made his long-awaited debut for Monaco, but his side found themselves in a nightmare situation, trailing 4-0. Pogba did not play for two years after serving a four-year ban for doping, which was later reduced to 18 months on appeal.
After 811 days on the sidelines, Pogba can consider himself an active player again after a brief but undoubtedly fulfilling 10-minute appearance on Saturday night. Sadly, Monaco had been beaten 4-0 by Rennes when Pogba came on.
Former Arsenal forward Mika Bielet pulled one back late in stoppage time, but shots from Abdelhamid Ait Boudral, Mahdi Kamara, Briel Embolo and Ludovic Bias ensured Rennes were in the lead.
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As for Pogba’s performance, he recorded 17 touches from 15 attempts and completed 14 passes. Defensively, he had two ball recoveries and one interception.
The world champion has revealed how he feels about playing again after more than two years out due to suspension and subsequent fitness issues.
“It’s disappointing to lose this game. It’s Paul Pogba’s return, but I play for Monaco and I don’t like to lose. On the one hand I was really happy, but on the other hand I was disappointed with the result and what we did on the pitch,” Pogba said in the mixed zone, as reported by RMC Sport.
“The reception was emotional. I saw the audience standing up and clapping, which I didn’t expect. I’m so grateful to the fans who supported me personally.”
“It felt good. I wanted to bring good energy, not concede a goal and have fun. It’s been a while. I’m relieved to be back playing soccer, my favorite game in the world. We still have work to do to get back to full fitness.”
Monaco coach Sebastian Pognoli hinted at the possibility of Pogba’s return in his pre-match press conference.
“We have a session today (Friday) so we’ll see how it goes. If things go well he’ll be able to play there. He’s had a lot of sessions and the feedback is positive. He was able to test himself in match conditions. There are good signs.”
It probably wasn’t the return to football that Pogba had envisioned, but it almost certainly felt like a monumentally important milestone, simply because he was back playing the game he loved.
Pogba will be hoping to step up his appearances in the coming weeks and feature in the Champions League for the first time in more than three-and-a-half years.
Monaco will face Cypriot side Paphos next Tuesday as they aim to build on the five points they already have from four games. Pogba’s side will face defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain that weekend.
After signing with the French side as a free agent in June 2025, Pogba was given a training plan tailored to the match. He was expected to return against Paris FC earlier this month, but his return was put on hold due to a minor injury.
