Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba believes he still plays football as he did when he was a kid, and explained why he focuses on the positive aspects of his game. The 30-year-old was speaking with Views.fr and touched on the changes to the game and why he thinks football is more result orientated these days:
One of the things that characterizes your game is that it’s very creative, spontaneous and dynamic. My colleagues say that you play like you’re in a five, that your game isn’t sanitized like today’s football . How do you analyze today’s football ?
“Today’s football has really changed because it’s a lot more intense and I think we think a lot more about the result, which is normal. But for me, above all, it’s always been a pleasure. I play football like I did when I was 5-6 years old. It’s really about having fun and giving pleasure to the people watching. And that’s the way it’s always been. And I don’t want that to go away, because that’s how I started. That’s how I grew up and that’s what made me love football. The show, above all. That doesn’t mean you forget the result – I’m a very bad loser. I like to win in style and with style.”
Staying on the subject of putting the pleasure of playing above all else, when you hear your detractors say that you play an average match because you’re too “show-offy” with your celebrations and your hairstyles, how do you feel about these criticisms? How do you perceive this criticism?
“Personally, I’m more interested in the positive criticisms, because there will always be some negative ones. But I don’t think about that. Today, I’m a professional footballer because I played this kind of football, and it’s this kind of football that got me where I am today.”
“There will always be critics. I’m thinking more about the people who watch me and are happy to see me play, rather than the people who criticize me. I don’t need that. I know when I’ve had a good game and when I’ve had a bad one. The pleasure will always stay with me and that’s why I play football. I think that’s also why people come to watch the games.”
