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Paul Pogba paid a visit to Patrice Evra before his upcoming MMA debut next month.
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Pogba remains clubless following the mutual termination of his contract with Juventus.
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Paul Pogba
went to watch Patrice Evra train ahead of the former
Manchester United
The defender’s first foray into mixed martial arts is scheduled for next month.
Evra, who retired from professional football in 2019 at the age of 43, has traded his cleats for goalie gloves as he gets ready to transition into a new role.
make their debut with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) at the Paris event on May 23.
While his opponent is yet to be declared,
Evra stated on social media that he wishes to challenge Luis Suarez.
with whom he had an infamous racist controversy back in 2011.
In the meantime, Pogba hasn’t had a club since late November after leaving his previous team.
Juventus
contract was mutually terminated.
Last February, the Frenchman received an initial suspension of four years from football following a drug test that revealed elevated levels of testosterone in his body.
Nevertheless, the World Cup champion received a reprieve in October as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decreased the penalty from four years to 18 months after an appeal was filed.
The bond between Pogba and Evra goes back to 2009 when Pogba came to Manchester United’s academy from Le Havre.
As the vice-captain of the team and an established veteran, Evra naturally took on a mentoring position with his compatriot.
They both represented the French national team, with Evra serving as captain at times.
Following his retirement, Evra has ventured into various activities including working as a pundit, exploring business opportunities, and becoming an influential figure on social media.
The former left-back has actively defended Pogba both on social media platforms and as a commentator for Sky Sports. When France claimed victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Evra took to Instagram to pen an open letter addressed to Pogba.
It is said that he had significant influence over Pogba’s choice to return to Manchester United in 2016, where he rejoined the club for what was then a world-record transfer fee of £89 million from Juventus.
While he was absent from the pitch, rumors connected Pogba with clubs such as Marseille, Manchester City, Corinthians, and Manchester United.
The 32-year-old has been training in Miami with coaches, working on both his football and physical fitness.
Nevertheless, reports from last month indicated that Pogba is not expected to commit to any team before the conclusion of the present season.
It has been reported that the midfielder has rejected proposals from the Saudi Pro League and Brazil’s top division with the aim of maximizing his opportunities to secure a spot in France’s national team roster for the 2026 World Cup.
The last official game Pogba participated in was with Juventus back in September 2023. Prior to that, his most recent complete 90-minute appearance was during March 2022 when he was still playing for Manchester United.
His most recent appearance for France occurred during a 5-0 friendly victory over South Africa on March 29, 2022, which marked his 91st caps with the national team.
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