Paul Pogba has responded to fans after receiving criticism from Juventus supporters for going skiing while injured.
The France star left Manchester United on a free transfer after his contract expired and returned to Juventus in July. He hasn’t played since then as he injured his meniscus in his knee later that month and then his thigh in October.
After a second stint at Manchester United that began with great expectations but ended with disappointment, Pogba ran down his contract with the Old Trafford club. In 2016, he became their record acquisition for £93 million.
He returned to Juventus on a free transfer, but under Massimiliano Allegri, he is yet to play any competitive game.
Injuries to his meniscus and thigh held him out of action for the Bianconeri back in July and August, respectively.
Juve supporters erupted when they saw the midfielder taking photographs in front of a mountain at a ski resort while donning goggles and a thick coat.
The supporters were upset, according to the Italian publication Tuttosport, “partly because there is always a chance of getting harmed in the mountains and there are many fans who would like to see him on the field after months of waiting.”
The World Cup winner responded to the criticism, though, by posting a video to his 56.4 million Instagram followers on Thursday morning that showed him dancing in the snow and writing, “Me skiing for those who were asking” with a skiing and cry-laughing emoji. At the time of writing, it had already accumulated thousands of likes.
Pogba threw some shades with a post on Instagram in which he imitated the ski position and action, but there were no skis or ski poles in sight.
Pogba can be seen in the video assuming a traditional ski position with his legs together and knees bent, putting his arms back to simulate using skis, and then repeatedly jumping forward.
After smiling and turning to face the camera, he strikes a few more low-impact ski positions to show off how low-impact his vacation has been. He then switches the camera off.
The midfielder recently shared several images to his Instagram account, including one of him trudging through deep snow while wearing ski goggles and a thick coat with the caption: “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting” possibly alluding to his protracted recovery from injury.
The 29-year-old was spotted in the audience at the World Cup final earlier this month, where he was to watch his squad lose on penalties to Argentina.
With his club teammates, Pogba is currently back in Turin and working to get fit as quickly as possible. The Italian league will begin on January 3 when Juventus plays Cremona in their first game back after the World Cup and winter break. Pogba is not anticipated to play.
Seria A got off to a rough start for Juventus. But before the World Cup break, Massimiliano Allegri’s team had reversed the situation, winning five straight wins. With 31 points, they are third in the standings. With 41 points, Napoli is the league’s top team.
