Paul Pogba’s place within the World Cup amid scandal and dangerous knee

The midfielder’s health might show to be the deciding consider deciding whether or not he performs within the World Cup, amid an extortion scandal that threatens to disrupt France’s preparations for the match in Qatar.

In what would have been an in any other case harm headache for Deschamps, he might keep away from the potential migraine of one other scandal to hit Les Blas seven years after the earlier one.

Defending champions France can’t afford a marketing campaign the place two of its largest stars – Pogba and Kylian Mbappe – are embroiled in controversy.

French officers mentioned Pogba paid 100,000 euros (about $100,000) to an organized group, together with his brother, who have been attempting to extort hundreds of thousands from him.

French prosecutors are investigating allegations that Pogba was the goal of extortion by his older brother Mathias Pogba and childhood mates. He reportedly demanded 13 million euros (about $13 million) from the France midfielder.

Pogba reportedly paid after being threatened by masked, armed males in a Paris condominium in March whereas he was in France for nationwide staff obligation. The group additionally sought a midfielder on the Juventus coaching heart in Turin. According to reviews, he mentioned that Mathias Pogba was one among them.

French media reviews mentioned that Pogba instructed investigators that the extortionists wished to defame him by claiming that he had requested a witch physician to carry out a spell on Mbappe – a cost Pogba denied.

Mathias Pogba appeared on Sunday in a Twitter put up directed at Mbappe, addressing the witch physician’s declare: “Kylian, do you understand now? I have nothing against you, what I’m saying is for your own good.” Mbappé scored for French champions Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-0 win in Toulouse on Wednesday, however no remark but on the matter is of.

For Deschamps, nevertheless, it will need to have been an exhausting and worrying feeling of deja vu.

He has been in a equally uncomfortable place earlier than, when star ahead Karim Benzema was on the heart of a sex-tape scandal within the autumn of 2015 over his alleged position in blackmailing then-France teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

Both have been in type and mixing effectively with Valbuena’s fast legs on the pitch and slick runs down creating good scoring positions for Benzema.

The scandal broke even nearer to a significant match France hosted the 2016 European Championship, the place Benzema – France’s prime scorer on the 2014 World Cup – was anticipated to star with Antoine Griezmann within the assault.

Deschamps was additionally near Benzema, the primary striker he had defended when he went by way of an extended purpose drought. But he determined that the media highlight could be too brilliant and questions would proceed to be in Euro 2016, so he dropped each Benzema and Valbuena from the staff.

For some observers this was Deschamps at his ruthless greatest, others felt he was too harsh on Benzema, and the harmless Valbuena paid an unfair worth.

Valbuena by no means performed for France once more, whereas Benzema didn’t play for Les Blaise once more till a shock return in May 2021.

While the circumstances are totally different, Pogba’s presence on the World Cup might additionally have an effect on one other participant: star striker Mbappe. The duo scored within the second half of their 4-2 World Cup ultimate win in opposition to Croatia 4 years in the past and would often be Deschamps’ first alternative.

Under regular circumstances, it will have been attainable that Deschamps would have given Pogba most time to get better from his knee harm. At the 2008 European Championship, then-coach Raymond Domenech introduced an injured Patrick Vieira into his staff, a midfielder’s significance to the staff.

But the present surroundings round Pogba might have an effect on how a lot Deschamps indulges in one among his closest gamers.

French Football Federation president Nol Le Graet downplayed the scandal.

“These are just rumours at this point,” Le Great instructed Radio Monte Carlo. “I like Paul. I hope this does not increase questions on his (World Cup) place for France. Crucially, Le Grete initially favored Benzema forward of Euro 2016, solely to have Deschamps Joe wished to be according to him – leaving Benzema feeling dissatisfied, as he was near Le Great.

Time isn’t on Deschamps’s facet both.

He is aware of the questions will come on 15 September as quickly as he decides to call his staff for the Nations League video games. Austria on 22 September and Denmark three days later.

They are the final two matches earlier than France’s opening match of the World Cup in opposition to Australia on 22 November.

Pogba is recovering from a meniscus tear in his proper knee. He determined in opposition to having the operation and is predicted to be out for just a few extra weeks.

This might give Deschamps a simple however diplomatic leeway in resolving the problem by saying that he wouldn’t be match match, quite than leaving a participant who has been a central aspect in his staff since taking up 10 years in the past.

It would not seem like 29-year-old Pogba will get better in time to face Austria and Denmark, anyway. Even if his knee improves, he will probably be effectively beneath match health.

So Deschamps can cite health – or hope that the entire mess will go away when he palms over his official World Cup squad in mid-October.

But that additionally will not cease questions from arising in Qatar, the place Pogba’s presence might have an effect on Mbappe’s type and thus the overall temper of the squad underneath intense media scrutiny.

Benzema is predicted to win the Ballon d’Or because the world’s prime participant, whereas Mbappé has received the French league’s greatest participant award thrice. They are prime priorities in Deschamps’ squad, whereas Pogba is probably not as invaluable as he as soon as was with Aurelian Tchoumeni who’s now impressing at Real Madrid.

Given how effectively Mbappe has constructed up a rapport with Benzema, would Deschamps wish to disrupt it for a loyalty to a participant who – even with out the scandal – would have been suspicious of enjoying in Qatar anyway? Then there’s Pogba’s brother, 32-year-old Mathias. They have been shut when rising up in a housing mission with Florentin Pogba – Mathias’s twin – within the japanese Paris suburb of Roissy-en-Brie. All three performed for the native membership of the commune on the junior degree, and the twins additionally had low-lever skilled careers.

That household unity now seems to be fractured.

The matter grew to become public after Paul’s brokers have been posted on social media final weekend with threats to share “explosive” revelations about Rafael Pimenta and Mbappe.

He posted one other obscure and cryptic video on Tuesday night time that contained a voice-over with violent language and a moody soundtrack.

What if Mathias Pogba retains posting movies like this through the World Cup? It’s a distraction Deschamps might in all probability do with out.