An ironic and tense combination.

AS Monaco, belonging to Ligue 1 in France, officially announced on the 29th (Korean time) that they had signed a contract with Pogba.

The midfielder Pogba, who formerly played for Juventus, tested positive for prohibited substances in a random drug test after the match against Udinese in the 2023-2024 season, resulting in a four-year suspension. However, after an appeal, the penalty was reduced to 18 months in October last year.

According to the final ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Pogba accidentally took DHEA, a substance that increases male hormone testosterone levels. This substance is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list. However, the court noted that DHEA is a substance that only affects women.

After signing the contract, Pogba reportedly expressed his gratitude to Monaco, saying, "Thank you for trusting me," and was seen in tears.

Pogba, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Juventus in November last year, became a free agent (FA). He could have started playing from March this year, and Monaco reached out to him.

With this contract, Pogba has stepped onto the stage of Ligue 1 in France for the first time.

Meanwhile, Pogba made his first-team debut at Manchester United (Man U) in 2011 and transferred to Juventus in 2012. After entering the Italian stage, he achieved four consecutive Serie A championships from the 2012-2013 season to the 2015-2016 season, and won the Coppa Italia in both the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons, achieving a double.

In the summer of 2016, Pogba returned to Manchester United for a then-world-record transfer fee of £89 million (about 135 billion won). In his first year back in the 2016-2017 season, he led the team to victory in the UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup.

However, the last three years that Pogba spent at Manchester United from the 2019-2020 season to the 2021-2022 season were disappointing due to repeated injuries and inconsistent performance. He transferred back to Juventus in the summer of 2022 but failed to make an impressive impact due to knee injuries and disciplinary issues after his return.

Meanwhile, Pogba has ended up playing alongside a player with a somewhat bizarre karmic connection. He will be playing with Sung-gutu Magasa, who is the cousin of the person who attempted to kidnap him. Pogba was kidnapped by a group of six armed individuals in his apartment in France in 2022 and held for ransom.

The key figure in that incident is Pogba's brother, Mathias Pogba. He allegedly recruited five acquaintances, including Mamadou Magassa, whom he had known since childhood, to attempt the kidnapping of Pogba. Sung-gutu is the cousin of Mamadou, who received a five-year sentence for his involvement in that incident. He is a defensive midfielder and center-back, likely to play alongside Pogba.

Spain’s Marca commented, "Pogba has returned from his drug suspension. His salary has substantially decreased, and while there are various issues, the most surprising is that he is playing alongside Sung-gutu. The situation of wearing the same uniform as the cousin of his kidnapper itself is ironic and tense."

[OSEN]