Portugal Colonial - Injury-plagued Pogba released by Monaco

Pogba, 33, won the World Cup with France in 2018 but since serving a ban for doping has struggled to return to the elite level.

Monaco said in a statement that the objectives they had set for Pogba were "only partially achieved" and the Ligue 1 club were therefore ending his contract that would have run until June 2027.

Pogba is currently sidelined with a thigh injury, just after returning from a knee problem.

Monaco paid tribute to the player's "remarkable mindset, determination and unwavering high standards" and said even when injured he had had a positive influence on the Monaco squad by "sharing his experience and know-how" with the other players.

In that same statement, Pogba acknowledged that he had not "played as many matches" for Monaco as he had hoped -- he only featured in six Ligue 1 games last season, for a total of 115 minutes on the pitch.

He thanked the "president, management, teammates, all the staff as well as all the supporters who believed".

Pogba made 233 appearances in two stints at Manchester United and was voted Serie A player of the year while at Juventus, where he won the Italian title four times.

He was a key part of the France team that won the World Cup in Russia in 2018.

But he tested positive for testosterone in 2023 while playing for Juventus and despite his claims that the drug was contained in a food supplement prescribed by a doctor in the United States, he was given a four-year ban.

After an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the ban was cut to 18 months.

After serving the ban, he joined Monaco last year.

E.Paulino--PC