French footballer Paul Pogba has opened up on lessons he learned during his 18-month ban from football, revealing how the experience exposed the true nature of those around him.
Reflecting on his ordeal while on suspension, Pogba said he didn’t view his suspension as a misfortune but rather as a turning point that helped him identify who his real friends were.
“For the past 10 years when I was in glory, I had a lot of friends. But it took me just 18 months to realize I had none,” he stated.
Pogba, who recently signed with AS Monaco, noted a sudden change in behavior from people who had distanced themselves during his troubled period.
“My friends who abandoned me after I was banned checked in on me immediately I signed into AS Monaco,” Pogba revealed. “My phone started ringing with messages and calls… and when I saw it was my fake friends, I immediately changed my number.”
He emphasized that the ban helped him gain clarity about what truly matters. “It made me realize what is important and what is not,” he said. “I am done with fake friends. Now when I look back, I am glad of what happened, even though I didn’t like it when it happened.”
Pogba’s revelation adds a deeply personal chapter to his recent career comeback, suggesting that while he may have lost time on the pitch, he has gained something more lasting off it — self-awareness and a more genuine support circle.