Mino Raiola angrily denies that Paul Pogba made an obscene gesture to France fans last night.
Images have been circulating online of the Juventus midfielder seemingly making the “bras d’honneur” or “umbrella gesture” after the game against Albania last night, causing a minor storm.
“No, he didn’t do the bras d’honneur after the match,” Raiola fumed in an interview with RMC Sport
Mino Raiola angrily denies that Paul Pogba made an obscene gesture to France fans last night.
Images have been circulating online of the Juventus midfielder seemingly making the “bras d’honneur” or “umbrella gesture” after the game against Albania last night, causing a minor storm.
“No, he didn’t do the bras d’honneur after the match,” Raiola fumed in an interview with RMC Sport
“He didn’t do it, and we’ll stop with that nonsense now, because I’m in charge. In the world there are, as we say in English, ‘haters’, people who hate everything.
“We have to concentrate on other things, on the game he played, on the positives, not nonsense that he didn’t do.
“It’s a dance he does with his brothers and his friends. You shouldn’t use Paul for publicity, this nonsense has to stop.
“As I’ve said, it’s haters and people who are not serious. They took unclear images and took them out of context, because it was a dance move. They want to create a scandal, destabilise Paul.
“They won’t succeed in destabilising the lad, because he’s stronger than that. He knows it’s part of his life, 50 per cent love him and 50 per cent hate him because they’re jealous.
“Maybe they’re jealous of him, of his talent, I don’t know. There’s [Antoine] Griezmann too, but I’ll talk about Paul because he’s my player.
“They should be proud to have a player of his extraordinary quality, who everyone wants. I had the same with the Swedish Press and Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] early in his career.
“It’s always hard to be king in your own country, and I think Paul will have the same problem. But really, stop with this nonsense. Speak of what he offers and the athlete he is.
“If I were Paul I’d give the bras d’honneur to these people, with pleasure.
“I’m more upset than him, he’s a calm person, very educated and he doesn’t do these things. There are times when he has to calm me down, when he’s more mature and balanced than me.
“I see this time and time again in my career, when there’s a big star, instead of helping him and doing good for him, there are people who want to tear him down.
“They’re jealous, or racist or I-don’t-know-what. It’s not good. Again, it was a dance with his brothers and his friends as he left the pitch.
“They want to destabilise the lad, but they won’t succeed because all Paul cares about is the opinion of [Coach Didier] Deschamps and his teammates.
“I always say ‘don’t hate appreciate’, it’s simpler and more positive.
“Are they too hard on Pogba in France? Every club in the world wants him! It’s not a coincidence, because he has extraordinary qualities.
“He’s the best player in the world in his role, and at 23 he’s already achieved what many players fail to do in their entire career.”