Online Reporter
PAUL POGBA made his long-awaited comeback after more than two years away from the pitch – but it proved to be a night to forget.
His Monaco side fell to a one-sided 4-1 defeat to Rennes, leaving them eight points adrift of Ligue 1 leaders Marseille.
Pogba came off the bench for Les Monegasques, marking his first appearance after 811 days.
The World Cup winner was initially handed a four-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance. But Pogba’s suspension was reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
And the Frenchman broke down in tears when he signed a two-year contract with Monaco in June.
Injury problems and fitness concerns resulted in Pogba, 32, not being involved in a single matchday squad before the trip to Rennes on Saturday.
And he came off the bench in the latter stages of the contest, replacing Mamadou Coulibaly.
But Monaco already had a mountain to climb by the time Pogba entered the fray because Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas had given the hosts a four-goal lead. Mika Biereth grabbed a stoppage time consolation for the visitors, who had to play the majority of the second half with 10 men following former Chelsea man Denis Zakaria’s red card.
Pogba fans rushed onto social media after seeing him back on the pitch for the first time since featuring for Juventus against Empoli in September 2023.
One wrote: “Pogba’s back where he belongs – the magic returns!”
Another added: “Tears in my eyes. It felt so emotional seeing him back on the pitch after everything he went through.”
A fan noted: “His comeback to the World Cup starts now. I believe.” Manchester United paid a world-record fee to sign Pogba in July 2016 and he went on to make more than 200 appearances. But the midfielder left Old Trafford as a free agent six years later and ended up returning to former employers Juventus before his drugs ban.
Pogba will have an opportunity to make his first start of the season when Monaco visit Pafos in the Champions League on Wednesday -Sun.
