Pogba: "I'm not like everybody else. I want to be the best"
The France and Juventus midfielder - courted by Real Madrid and Manchester United - revealed to L'equipe magazine his ambition to win the Balon d'Or and burning desire to be the best
Ambition: “I want to be the best, I don’t want to be like everyone else. When I do something, I like to differentiate myself from the rest and I don’t like lose…I don’t like to come second, not in cards, not in PlayStation, and especially not in football. People say that could be interpreted as arrogance, but it’s not like that. Really, it’s what I said to my teachers when I was at school: that I was going to be a pro footballer. That’s not arrogance. It’s determination.”
Modesty: “I’m nobody. I haven’t done anything yet. I need to work more, There are always going to expectations put on me. I’m not an attacker, I’ll say that now. I’m going to give away chances, passes, dribbles, and I’m not going to score three goals a game, but everything I do I give it my best shot.”
"I'd love to win the Balon d'Or"
Aims: “I’d love to win the Balon d’Or. It’s a dream for me…the thought’s always in a corner of my head. I’m not saying I will win it, just that I’d like to. It’s an objective, like winning the Champions League. Some might say I’m crazy, but I like to do crazy things. Anyway, at the moment there are two phenomenal players scoring 60 goals a season. Balon D’or? Maybe some day!”
What do Messi or Cristiano have that you don’t? “Goals for one. Titles too. I need to improve my performances during games and be more decisive. Messi and Cristiano score against every team, and not just in one or two seasons, during their whole careers.”
Role models: “Pirlo is the model player. He’s always sure of himself. In the 88th minute of a match when tension is high, he’ll remain cool as ice and do something decisive – a cutting pass or a shot outside the box. He’s always precise.”
Money: “When people talk about me, what do you hear? The price tag! “Pogba’s worth this much, or that much”…These people don’t know football, I’d say. ”Oh, but this player cost so much, why doesn’t he score more goals?” They don’t think about the fact that I’m a centre-midfielder, they only think about the money. It doesn’t affect me though.