Samuel Umtiti was first up, with Paul Pogba to follow, as France looked ahead to Sunday’s World Cup final against Croatia with a press conference out by the magnificent New Jerusalem Monastery to the west of Moscow. If Umtiti had any illusion about his warm-up act status, he was disabused of it within seconds of pulling his chair to the table.
“Ladies and gentleman, I present Paul Umtiti,” the France federation media officer said, before wishing he could have his time again. To be fair to Umtiti, who has been in fine form at the tournament, he took it well. The Barcelona centre-half stood straight up and, to no little laughter from the audience, strode off in mock diva fashion. He would return.
Everybody was waiting for Pogba and it was ever thus but particularly so before this World Cup, after his erratic season at Manchester United. What sort of Pogba would turn up? The smart money was on the celebrity midfielder, who must give free rein to his talent and, if that means overlooking the dirtier aspects of the job, then fine. It was the attitude that had driven the United manager, José Mourinho, to distraction and it was one that helped to place a significant wedge between them.
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