Twinning: Pogba and Zidane in their mid-20s

Photo credit: Ben Sutherland

The career arcs of Zinedine Zidane and Paul Pogba are eerily similar.

Both born to immigrant parents who eventually settled in Paris, both Pogba and Zidane had impoverished childhoods which possibly gave them the inner drive to succeed at the highest level. Both found football to be a canvas where they are truly able to express their artistry. Both played for Juventus. Both won World Cups in their mid-20s.

Both are able to exhibit finesse and movement that would be at home in both La Bayadere as well as in the middle of midfield. Both are devastatingly effective from long distance, and can pick incisive passes from every millimeter of their feet – the sort of 360-vision even professional footballers would only manage while playing FIFA.

I could go on, but you get the point.

So where is Pogba in terms of achievements? I believe they are at the same level at this point in their careers. Once we lay out the facts, we can possibly discuss why that might be.

Here are the facts,

Paul Pogba’s achievements at 25 –

• Club level:
  • 4x Scudettos
  • 2x Italian Super cup
  • Carling Cup
  • Europa League
• Int’l level
  • Debut at 19 years of age.
  • U-20 World Cup Winner
  • FIFA World Cup Winner
  • European Championship Runner up
• Individual
  • Player of the year (U-20 World Cup)
  • Golden Boy award (2013).

Zidane at 26 –

• Club level
  • 2x Scudetto (two seasons at Juventus)
  • 1x Italian Super Cup
  • 1x Intercontinental cup
  • 1x UEFA Super Cup
• International
  • Debut at 22 years of age.
  • 1x World Cup
• Individual
  • Ballon D’ Or
  • Player of the year (Ligue 1)
  • Deemed to be not as good as Tim Sherwood (No seriously, this is a thing that happened).

Clearly, Zidane started to peak at 26. After that 1998 World Cup, he went on to win the European Championships, captaining France, signing for Real Madrid, winning the Champions League, Spanish titles and the Ballon D’ Or two more times. Zidane ended his career in 2006, recognized as one of the greatest players to have played the game. During a golden era of central midfielders in the mid-2000s such as Pirlo, Scholes, Vieira, Gerrard, Lampard, Deco, Xavi, Ballack, etc., Zizou was widely believed to be right at the top of an incredible bunch.

But, that’s almost a decade after being at the top; a period that started in 1998 with a World Cup win.

The target for Paul Pogba now has to be to achieve similar heights. He has previously stated that winning the Ballon D’ Or is a personal goal of his, and he will want to remedy a runners up medal at the European Championships in 2020.

One reason Pogba continues to be written off is his flashy personality. While Zidane was shy and reserved off the pitch, Pogba is a media and marketing juggernaut, and this draws the ire of pundits and fans alike. Apparently, hairstyles and dabs annoy the likes of Graeme Souness.

Which probably means he should do it more.

The Mourinho factor

Pogba literally has the world at his feet. And, having watched both players and compared their career trajectories, Pogba has everything in the locker to reach Zidane’s level.

Can he succeed under Mourinho? Mourinho is a brilliant coach whose trophy record is up there with the greatest to have managed in the game. However, a common (and sometimes overstated) criticism is that he favors effective football over football involving artistry. That while a manager like Sir Alex would regularly encourage his players to try the unexpected, Jose prefers a more controlled brand of football.

Whether or not Pogba can reach Zidane’s heights under Mourinho is a relevant question. Zidane benefited from Vincent Del Bosque’s ability to configure a midfield boasting the masterful Zidane, the industrious Makelele, the mercurial Figo and two fantastic spanish strikers in Morientes and Raul. Del Bosque was widely known for his man-management skills and allowed players to express themselves freely on the pitch, leading his team (and Zidane) to great success during his stint at the club. 

On the other hand, Mourinho’s United has shackled Pogba into an undefined role. Anyone who watches United can see it – Pogba sees an opening, but now he second guesses himself – unsure whether to do what is natural to him (take a player on) or to do what Mourinho seems to want of him (to pass to Sanchez, Lukaku or Rashford and to hold his position in midfield).

Will Pogba have to leave United to fulfill his potential? Possibly. But, I certainly hope not.

As a caveat, it is possible that Pogba has already reached his ceiling – and that from here on in, things will slow down for Pogba. Certainly, there are examples of players whose form in their mid-20s was the zenith of their careers. Players like Juan Sebastian Veron, Kaka, Falcao, Angel DiMaria, etc fit that bill. However, unlike most of those players, Pogba has managed to stay relatively injury free, and should be expected to strengthen his hold on the midfield.

The previous Mourinho caveat aside, of course.

Critics will say that currently, Pogba is not the best midfielder in the world. But, Zidane only won that praise once he had a couple of years at Juventus under his belt at 26-27 years of age. From that standpoint, Pogba is at Zizou’s level.

And that’s an incredible place to be when you have ten years of top-level football ahead of you.