PARIS — Adrien Rabiot, a midfielder for Marseille, expressed his eagerness to team up with fellow Frenchman Paul Pogba, encouraging him to consider joining the club once he is eligible to play again next year.
Pogba, who was a crucial member of the French national team that won the 2018 World Cup, recently reached an agreement with Juventus to terminate his contract. This decision comes after Italy’s doping tribunal reduced his initial four-year suspension to 18 months following an appeal process. He is set to return to the pitch in March, coinciding with his 32nd birthday.
“I would love to play alongside Paul,” Rabiot remarked during an interview with DAZN after netting a goal in Marseille’s 2-0 victory against Saint-Etienne on Sunday. “He is very warmly invited to join us at Marseille.”
Having moved from Juventus to Marseille in the recent transfer window, Rabiot is beginning to regain his rhythm and form. Currently, Marseille holds the second position in the French league, tied on points with Monaco and trailing Paris Saint-Germain by five points, all under the guidance of the highly regarded coach Roberto De Zerbi.
“What we’re establishing here is truly impressive. There’s a palpable energy and ambition within the team,” shared Rabiot, who has represented France 50 times on the international stage.
Pogba’s troubles began when he tested positive for testosterone in August of last year, which led to Italy’s anti-doping court imposing the strictest possible penalty. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ultimately reduced his suspension after finding that there was no intent involved, concluding that the positive result stemmed from an incorrectly taken supplement prescribed by a physician in Florida.
Reflecting on Pogba’s earlier successes, he became the most expensive soccer player globally in 2016 when he rejoined Manchester United from Juventus for a staggering fee of 105 million euros. Throughout his career, he has represented France 91 times, scoring 11 goals, including a pivotal strike in the World Cup final against Croatia that led to France’s 4-2 triumph. In the season following, he reached a career-high with 13 league goals for United and was hailed as one of the top midfielders in the world.
After returning to Juventus as a free agent in 2022, Pogba’s second tenure at the club was marred by injuries, limiting him to merely eight appearances in Serie A before facing his suspension issues. “We crossed paths briefly at Juventus,” Rabiot recalled, who made 212 appearances for the club between 2019 and 2024. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the opportunity to play together often due to his injuries, which was quite disappointing for me.”
