French footballer, Paul Pogba, has set the record straight on his explosive feud with Jose Mourinho that marred his Manchester United career.
Mourinho and Pogba joined United in 2016, with the midfielder returning four years later in a then-world record £89million transfer after he’d left for Juventus.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Pogba – now at Monaco after returning to football following an 18-month doping ban claims problems between the pair began with his injury issues.
I always respect, always respect. They tell me what to do. They are the boss. That’s the truth. They are the boss. They decide if you play or not.
‘We were very cool at the start, sending messages and stuff like that. He’s a really funny man. He’s a funny guy. He’s really special, to be honest. And after a time, I think the injuries created that [a breakdown in relations].
‘When always the media ask him questions about me, maybe makes him a bit like, “OK is he done?” And this is the problem also with me, like a lot of people they love to ask about me. Always Paul, Paul, Paul, and that probably p****d him off.’
Pogba previously claimed relations with Mourinho started to deteriorate when the then United boss sent a picture of him to his agent Mino Raiola while he was recovering from injury, leaving the player furious.
He claims Mourinho questioned his decision to take a rehab break in the United States and forwarded to Raiola a picture of him and his wife, Zulay in Miami.
Mourinho also stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy before a dramatic training-ground spat was spotted by television cameras.
The Portuguese allegedly referred to Pogba as a ‘virus’, comments which did not go down well in the midfielder’s camp.
Pogba also opened up on the differences at United from his first spell as a promising youngster to his second stint at the club, and revealed he told compatriot and friend Patrice Evra not long after his return that he wasn’t sure he would see out his contract.
‘I talked to Pat and said everything is different. The energy is different,’ Pogba told Ferdinand.
‘I said when I left, it wasn’t like that. You came to Manchester United with a clear idea of the culture of Manchester United. And it was a bit… it was different.
‘Even the food, everything inside was different. It was a bit weird.
‘I told Pat I don’t know if I’ll finish my contract basically here because I don’t feel like it’s the same. It’s not the same club as when I left.’
Pogba saw out his deal at United before leaving Old Trafford on a free transfer to return to Juventus in the summer of 2022.
His time in Italy was marred by injuries and a ban for doping. Pogba was initially suspended for four years before the ban was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 2018 World Cup winner left Juventus in November 2024 and went seven months without a club before signing for Monaco on a two-year deal.