Fabio Cannavaro believes Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba “has yet to prove that he’s a great player”.
The Frenchman took over the famous number 10 shirt this summer, and has returned to form in recent weeks after a difficult start to the season.
“Pogba isn’t doing very well at the moment,” Cannavaro, a former Bianconeri defender, told Cadena Ser.
“This year should’ve been his consecration because it was his first without [Arturo] Vidal and [Andrea] Pirlo next to him.
Fabio Cannavaro believes Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba “has yet to prove that he’s a great player”.
The Frenchman took over the famous number 10 shirt this summer, and has returned to form in recent weeks after a difficult start to the season.
“Pogba isn’t doing very well at the moment,” Cannavaro, a former Bianconeri defender, told Cadena Ser.
“This year should’ve been his consecration because it was his first without [Arturo] Vidal and [Andrea] Pirlo next to him.
“The great players are those who play 10 or 15 years at the same level. One good year doesn’t mean he’ll be the midfielder of the future.
“It’s phenomenal that [Barcelona’s Andres] Iniesta has played at his level for 10 years.
“Pogba has yet to prove that he’s a great player. He has the potential but needs to learn how to withstand pressure. That’s what makes a great player.”
Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or during his playing days, and admits he was surprised to be given the prize as a defender.
“[FIFA] always wants to give the Ballon d’Or to a striker. To win it as a defender, you have to do everything right.
“I won the World Cup with Italy playing very well, but I was surprised it was awarded it to me.
“When I received the call from France Football [who awarded the prize before it merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year], I didn’t believe it was them.
“I never thought I’d win it. Some may see it as a good thing, others as a bad thing, but I keep the trophy in my bedroom.
“In Italy, players like [Paolo] Maldini, [Gianluigi] Buffon and [Franco] Baresi never won it either.
“To win it, you have to be lucky that the forwards didn’t do so well. If [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo score 50 or 60 goals, [FIFA] will always give it to them.”
For more from this interview, check out our sister site football-espana.net.