Juventus: ex-Ballon d'Or winner slams Paul Pogba's 'excessive' focus on self-image

Paul Pogba has come under fire from legendary former Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro for paying too much attention to his "hair and image".

The midfielder returned to Juve this summer, bringing an end to his turbulent six-year spell at Manchester United – during which he faced similar criticism from those in the media.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Cannavaro – who won the Ballon d'Or after captaining Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and made 128 appearances for Juve – backed Pogba to succeed but had a warning for the Frenchman, himself a World Cup winner in 2018. He said:

"As a player he thrilled me. But in recent years in Manchester, he was unrecognisable.

"The excessive treatment of his hair and image makes me suspect that he feels he has arrived. And if you think that, you can't compete at the top. But I am convinced that he is in the mood for revenge."

Pogba has yet to feature competitively since returning to Juve, having sustained a meniscus injury in pre-season.

It remains unclear how long the 29-year-old is likely to be sidelined for, but he has reportedly opted against undergoing surgery so close to the World Cup.

Juve – who have finished fourth in Serie A in each of the last two seasons – travel to Sampdoria on Monday night, having kicked off their 2022/23 campaign with a 3-0 win over Sassuolo.