SAMI MOKBEL COLUMN: Why Paul Pogba turned down Man City

Paul Pogba has exclusively told Mail Sport that he was open to joining Manchester City in 2022 – but felt he had no option but to leave the city for personal reasons.

In May 2022, the back page of the Daily Mail carried a story revealing Pep Guardiola’s interest in the France international – who was playing for Manchester United at the time – in what could have been one of the most explosive transfers in British football history.

Guardiola wanted to add a new versatile central midfielder to fill the void left by captain Fernandinho, who was leaving at the end of 2021-22 season.

Pogba was a free agent that summer and City explored the possibility of signing the midfielder, despite his links to arch-rivals United.

In an exclusive interview with the 31-year-old midfielder in Paris on Wednesday, Pogba confirmed that he was aware of the interest from City at the time. But staying in Manchester wasn’t a realistic option.

In March 2022, Pogba’s was the victim of a burglary as intruders ransacked his house in Manchester while his children were asleep as the midfielder, accompanied by his wife Zulay, played in an evening game.

In addition, an extortion attempt – that is still under investigation – against him involving his brother Mathias and other friends and acquaintances rocked Pogba to the core.

And if circumstances were different, Pogba has admitted he may have chosen a different path.

‘Honestly: I had a lot of problems,’ said Pogba. ‘I had the burglary, I had problem with the extortion. I had to leave Manchester. Let’s say it like this: if I didn’t have that (problems) maybe I would have been at City. But with an “if” you can save the world because my head wasn’t about staying in Manchester. But it wasn’t a closed door because I left United for free.’

Pogba, who will return to competitive football in March after seeing his four-year doping ban 18 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled he did not intend to gain an advantage after testing positive for banned substance DHEA, is in talks over severing his current deal with Juventus.

‘For now, I still have a contract with Juventus we are talking to them and we will see what happens,’ Pogba added. ‘My main focus is to get back on the field and training. Be on the pitch with a ball with other players. I’ve been training on my own for a year. It’s lonely. I will be very happy to get back training.’

One of the most intriguing revelations from my chat with Pogba was his disclosure of the day he nearly came to blows with former Manchester United team-mate Ravel Morrison.

Midway through our interview, I showed him the iconic photo of himself, Morrison, Jesse Lingard and Ryan Tunnicliffe in the Old Trafford dressing following their FA Youth Cup Final win in 2011.

It brings a smile to Pogba’s face. He says: ‘That’s a nice picture – but it makes me feel old,’ he jokes.

‘It feels like it was yesterday. Good memories with good friends of mine.’

Our conversation then zeroes in on Morrison. Pogba has won the World Cup, four Serie A titles and the Europa League with United. Morrison, currently playing in the United Arab Emirates second tier at the age of 31, has struggled to fulfil his potential into a career fitting for someone so naturally talented.

‘Let me tell you, Ravel is the best player of my generation that I have seen,’ he said. ‘No doubt. I saw stuff Neymar was doing at Santos – Ravel was doing that.’

Morrison was among those to reach out to Pogba this month when the Juventus star’s doping ban was reduced. The pair’s careers have taken different paths but they remain close. That wasn’t always the case, however.

‘Here’s a funny story – I never told anyone this before,’ Pogba starts. ‘So I arrived from France and Rav is already the biggest star. He was the boss.

‘We were training just a few weeks after I arrived but I played tough. I took the ball from him. Rav was making a fool of everyone with his dribbling because he is so good, so I took the ball off him strongly and played. Then he kicked me, I turned round and didn’t say anything. We play again.

‘I smash him and we start to argue. We are head-to-head – so I say “let’s go to the changing room I’m ready”. In Paris this is normal! So we got to the dressing room and I’m getting ready.

‘But he just comes over and shakes my hand. Since that day he has been my guy. We are still talking.

‘He was one of the guys who sent me a message when he saw the news, he was so happy for me. Rav was the biggest talent of our generation. I don’t want to say I feel sorry (for his career) because you always want to see someone with big talent do good.

‘But as players we have to take responsibility too and he knows it. He realises if he had a chance to do it again he would do it differently.’

FA ditch Wembley dress code

The FA have scrapped their traditional Wembley dress code on England matchdays, Mail Sport can reveal.

In a further sign of the organisation’s move to modernise, English football’s governing body has made a deliberate move to relax their rules relating to attire in their prestigious Wembley Suite, where dignitaries and VIPs are hosted.

For years the FA have enforced a stringent formal evening dress code, however, the recent rule changes include men no longer having to wear ties. Smart trainers are also now permitted.

Women, too, are no longer required to wear formal dress in the plush suite.

The FA have also moved towards providing guests with a food buffet instead of the usual sit-down meal ahead of kick-off. The change in direction is designed to provide invitees with the ability to move around the room freely to mingle and network.

Mail Sport understands the relaxation of the rules has been well-received by those who attended England’s recent Wembley games against Finland in September and Greece last week.

A source said: ‘It certainly makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere. The FA are known for being a very traditional organisation but this is much more in line with the rest of Europe.’

PL’s private apology 

The Premier League wrote privately to clubs this week to apologise for the late confirmation of fixtures for December and January.

Top-flight chiefs were due to release the latest batch of fixture changes according to the broadcast schedule between September 16 and October 14.

But the fixtures weren’t confirmed until Tuesday, 24 hours past their own deadline.

Mail Sport has been told that the delay was down to the Premier League receiving final security sign-off for the Manchester derby, scheduled for Sunday December 15 at 4.30pm.

The Premier League have been criticised by supporters for failing to meet their own provisional deadline to release the revised fixture dates.

‘Once again televised fixtures are not published on time. A total lack of respect/consideration for travelling fans,’ read one social media post.

Why Palmer played deep against Greece

The decision to deploy Cole Palmer as a deep-lying midfield against Greece was a deliberate tactical plot by England interim head coach Lee Carsley.

Palmer’s position on the pitch against shocked onlookers given the forward’s outstanding contribution at Chelsea playing in attacking midfield.

There have been suggestions that the nature of the game, as Greece caused England huge problems in the shock loss, caused Palmer to drop back deeper than originally planned.

However, Mail Sport understands that Palmer’s surprising position on the pitch at Wembley last week was by design.

Carsley wanted Palmer to sit in central midfield alongside Declan Rice with view to pushing forward to assist the attack when he could.

As we know, the move backfired as England suffered a shock loss to Greece as the visitor’s consistently overran the Three Lions midfield.

A potential bonus behind City’s Viana appointment

Hugo Viana’s appointment as Manchester City’s incoming sporting director has raised industry whispers about the influence super-agent Jorge Mendes will have on the club’s future recruitment.

Sporting Lisbon chief Viana, 41, will replace Txiki Begiristain, who is leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, is known to have a close relationship with Mendes, who looks after the interests of some of the world’s biggest names.

And there is now an expectation that Mendes will become more active with City deals in the future given his links to Viana.

Mendes already has strong connections to City. Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes are listed among the clients of Gestifute – the agency founded by the Portuguese agent.

Lamine Yamal, Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves are among the emerging talents also looked after by Mendes.

Increased intensity not working for Palace

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner tapered his side’s training sessions towards the end of last season because his players weren’t fit enough to cope with his methods.

Mail Sport has learned that the Austrian coach felt he needed to reduce the intensity of his sessions after taking over from Roy Hodgson earlier this year. And Glasner’s ploy worked a treat as his team won six of their last seven matches.

The Eagles head coach has implemented a training plan more akin to his usual intensity this season, but his team are yet to win a single Premier League game. Palace face Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Sesko on United’s radar

Manchester United hold an interest in Red Bull Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.

The 21-year-old was courted by a number of European football’s top clubs, including Arsenal, during the summer window but ended up staying in Germany.

Sesko, however, is expected to leave Red Bull next summer and United are among the clubs keen on the Slovenia international.

The forward, though, will want to continue playing Champions League football, a factor likely to be key in his future.

United are currently 14th, already six points off the top four.

Meditation is key for Tuchel 

New England head coach Thomas Tuchel is big on meditation.

So big, in fact, that during his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund he hired a meditation expert to help his players through the mental pressures of elite football.

Some players bought into it. Some didn’t. For example, according to Mail Sport sources, former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wasn’t quite sold on the idea and didn’t turn up for meditation sessions.

Not only that, Aubameyang would jump in his Lamborghini – not the quietest car on the market – and drive past revving his super-car intently to ruin the ‘zen’.

It remains to be seen whether Tuchel tries to enforce the idea on England players when he takes over for his first games in March. Echoes of Glenn Hoddle and faith-healer Eileen Drewery?

Alonso top candidate to replace Ancelotti 

Real Madrid view Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso as a leading contender to become Carlo Ancelotti’s long-term successor at the Bernabeu.

Ancelotti has just over 18 months left to run on his contract in the Spanish capital and work has started on identifying candidates to replace their iconic manager.

Alonso is one of the hottest properties on the coaching market having led Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title last season. He turned down interest from Liverpool and Manchester United to stay in Germany.

But his stock remains high and Alonso is viewed by many at Real as the ideal man to lead the club through the post-Ancelotti era.

Coincidentally, Ancelotti is understood to have been a name considered by the FA for the England manager’s job ahead of their appointment of Thomas Tuchel this week.

Who knows, if Tuchel leaves when his contract is due to expire after World Cup 2026… Ancelotti anyone?