Paul Pogba's claim that he was "on holiday" from Manchester United, when he played at Juventus, has been laughed off by the Italian club's director Beppe Marotta.
Pogba said that, when he left United in 2012, he always knew that he would come back. The Frenchman duly did over the summer, when he rejoined the Old Trafford club from Juventus.
"It's like I went on holiday and just came back," Pogba said. "Seriously. Nothing really changed. I'm the same person."
Marotta told Mediaset Premium: "We want to be good-hearted in interpreting what one says. I hope his vacation with us was an instructive one. If he managed to wear the Manchester United shirt, it's because Juventus got the best out of him. Really, it's best just to laugh."
The director also spoke about former Juventus midfielder Antonio Conte, who led Chelsea to a 3-1 victory away against Manchester City.
"Chelsea are an excellent team and deserve to be top of the Premier League," Marotta said. "The squad interprets the characteristics of its coach."