After two years of suspension for doping, Paul Pogba was rewarded for his return to the football fields at the Global Soccer Awards. A price that raises questions.
A little more than two years after his last match, Paul Pogba returned to the professional football fields last November, in the colors of AS Monaco. A long wait for the world champion, rewarded on Sunday at the Global Soccer Awards in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). The 32-year-old former French international was awarded the “comeback of the year” trophy.
Enough to arouse the indignation of many observers in France. “Matthieu Udol, 4 cruciate ligaments, return to the leading Ligue 1 team at the break with RC Lens. Nabil Bentaleb, cardiac arrest, several months off work, return to the field scorer for the victory of LOSC“, lists Jimmy Cabot, former player of Lorient, Angers and Lens, in a publication on X. “Pogba suspended for doping : trophy», he concludes ironically.
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Other Internet users felt that the reward had “notnone sens“, that she was “scandalous» car «Bentaleb is so much more logical than Pogba” more “less seller“. It was not Pogba’s problem who relished being in the spotlight. “This trophy is not just mine, but everyone who believed in me. The best is yet to come», declared the man who has played 3 matches since his return, none of which as a starter, and who relapsed in mid-December with a left calf injury.
A trophy tailor-made for Cristiano Ronaldo
The Global Soccer Awards have been an annual ceremony since 2010. UEFA, the European football confederation, is notably behind the initiative. This is not to be confused with The Best trophies, awarded by FIFA (international federation), or the Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football magazine.
The Spanish newspaper Mark and the Dubai Sports Council are among the partners of the ceremony. The latter, in addition to Pogba, rewarded several members of PSG: Ousmane Dembélé (best player), Désiré Doué (best youngster), Vitinha (best midfielder), Luis Enrique (best coach), Luis Campos (best sports director) and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (best president).
The award given to Pogba illustrates the lack of credibility given to the Global Soccer Awards. If Dembélé was voted best player, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was voted “best striker” and also received the “Maradona trophy”. Cristiano Ronaldo was voted “best player in the Middle East” for the third year in a row. A trophy which, by a strange coincidence, was created at the time of the Portuguese’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, thus launching the exodus of many other footballers to the Saudi championship.
