MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he has does not have a problem with his striker Paul Pogba, despite telling the French midfielder that he will not captain the club again.
Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy, reportedly because he was concerned about his attitude.
“The only truth is that I made the decision for him not to be second captain any more but there is no fallout, no problem,” Mourinho said.
“I am the manager I can make these decisions.”
World Cup winner Pogba, 25, was told of the decision in the build-up to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup exit to Derby County.
It has been seen as an attempt by Mourinho to underline his authority after a mistake by Pogba led to a Wolves’ equalizer at Old Trafford last weekend, a game in which the player’s actions and subsequent comments criticized Mourinho’s tactics.
Pogba tried to play down his comments in a tweet earlier this week.
But in his program notes for Tuesday’s game, which Derby won on penalties, Mourinho said he was unhappy with some members of his squad.
“(The game against Wolves was) an important lesson; a lesson that I repeat week after week after week, a lesson that some boys are not learning,” he said.
“Every team that play Manchester United are playing the game of their lives, and we need to match that level of aggression, motivation and desire — 95 percent isn’t enough when others give 101 percent.”
Jose Mourinho says he has ‘no problem’ with Paul Pogba despite vice-captain row
Jose Mourinho says he has ‘no problem’ with Paul Pogba despite vice-captain row
- Mourinho stripped Pogba of the vice-captaincy, reportedly because he was concerned about his attitude
- World Cup winner Pogba, 25, was told of the decision in the build-up to Tuesday’s Carabao Cup exit to Derby County
Nigeria’s Chukwueze calls for AFCON to get same respect as World Cup
- “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV
Nigeria forward Samuel Chukwueze believes the Africa Cup of Nations should be given the same level of respect as the World Cup and the European Championship following controversy over the timing of the tournament in Morocco.
Initially scheduled to take place in the summer, this year’s AFCON was scheduled for December 21-January 18, depriving leading European clubs of key players participating in it at a crucial stage of the domestic season. “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV. “You have to respect the AFCON the same way you respect the European Championship or World Cup.”
The Fulham winger will miss six games for his club if Nigeria reach the round of 16.
“We understand they scheduled it at the wrong time of the year, but when it’s important, if you get recalled you have to go,” he said. “You don’t have any choice, your club can’t stop you and no one should say anything bad about the AFCON. Yes, they put it at the wrong time, but saying it’s not a good competition or a great competition is unacceptable.”
Chukwueze helped Nigeria secure an opening 2-1 win over Tanzania in Group C ahead of their second game against Tunisia on Saturday.
