Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 9y

Paul Pogba: Juventus' UCL final vs. Barca shows Man United exit was right

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba says Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona is as far into the future as he is looking right now, and that playing in the Berlin showpiece on Saturday more than justifies leaving Manchester United three years ago.

Pogba, 22, has earned admirers throughout Europe for the part he has played in three straight Serie A title wins for the Bianconeri since he arrived from Manchester United.

His stock has risen to the point of him being valued at over €100 million by the Serie A club, who insist he is not going to leave anyway this summer. That is a view shared by the player, who says he is paying no attention to the rumours.

"People can think what they want," Pogba told reporters at a media day in Turin on Monday, quotes La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"This is a final for me and it's going to be a great game, and that is all I am focusing on -- nothing else.

"I never said that this would be my last game for Juventus. I have no regrets. I'm delighted here and I always wanted to be involved in games like these."

That lack of regrets extends to his decision to leave Old Trafford and move to Italy three years ago.

"Yes, for sure, I am happy with how my time has gone in Turin," Pogba said, quotes the Daily Telegraph. "I don't regret it at all. I am very happy here and I enjoy it.

"I am in a Champions League final with Juventus, not Manchester, so things have worked out very well for me."

The Frenchman is not a certain starter for Juve next weekend, however. Having missed a month and a half due to injury, he struggled to rediscover his best form in the final few matches of the domestic season and may have to make do with a place on the bench in Berlin.

An apparent lethargy in the handful of appearances he has been given drew criticism from his coach and the Italian media, but Pogba says it is "just my style."

"It's nothing presumptuous," he said. "It's not something I do on purpose -- it may look like I'm taking things easy, but it's not like that at all. When I hear these things, they do get to me. I want to prove these people wrong."

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