Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 6y

Man United's Paul Pogba: I have no problem with Jose Mourinho

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has said there has been no breakdown in his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho recently asked France international Pogba to be more consistent this season and has sometimes axed the 25-year-old from his starting lineup.

That has led to speculation that Pogba could leave Old Trafford in the summer, two years after what was then a world record transfer from Juventus.

But Pogba told Canal+: "I don't have a problem, and I think he [Mourinho] doesn't have one with me. He's the coach, he makes his choices. I'm a player, I accept and I have to reply on the pitch.

"For the moment I'm at Manchester United, I really only think about the present. We're in the cup final, there's the World Cup. I'm not thinking about transfers."

Asked about recent speculation about a move away from United, in particular to Paris Saint-Germain, he said: "You know, if I listened to everyone, I would be in Marseille, Dijon, Amiens, Rennes, Manchester City, Real Madrid ... I would be everywhere."

Brazil legend Ronaldinho, meanwhile, said Pogba had "a lot to learn" from Mourinho.

Asked to compare his time at Paris Saint-Germain, when he was sometimes left on the bench by coach Luis Fernandez, he said: "It's different. When Mourinho tells you to go on the bench, you have to respect that. The other one [Fernandez] a bit less.

"I think Paul really has a lot to learn from Mourinho, who is one of the best coaches in the world.

"A coach who has won so many trophies and who has so much knowledge, you have to respect him, really. In my case, it was rather the opposite."

Pogba played a key role in United's 2-1 FA Cup semifinal win over Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday, creating Alexis Sanchez's goal in the first half.

Next month's final will be Pogba's final club game of the season before he heads to Russia with France for the World Cup, and ahead of the tournament, he urged the French media to get behind Didier Deschamps' team.

"We don't need criticism," he said. "I have been abroad, and I don't see that there. I see it a lot in France, but I don't see that elsewhere.

"In France, they are always on at the players a lot. Try to push them a bit more, don't be too hard."

Information from ESPN FC's France correspondent Ian Holyman was used in this report.

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