"Cristiano didn't even drink at Christmas; every training session was like a war..." - Berbatov
Berbatov also gave his thoughts on Mino Raiola's interview. "It's embarrassing for the player. And let's not forget Raiola works for Pogba, not the other way around".
Former Manchester United player Dimitar Berbatov, who is now working as an ambassador for Betfair, feels that Paul Pogba could rediscover his best form under Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid. Berbatov thinks the French midfielder will leave Old Trafford and cannot see him returning to be the player he was before he signed for United if he stays in Manchester. He also criticised Mino Raiola, Pogba's agent, for stating that the player is not happy where he is.
"I wish the best for Pogba and I would love to see him back at his decisive best because he is a good lad. Would going to Real Madrid be a solution? Maybe playing under Zidane could be a good way of restarting his career. I'm sure that for Pogba, it would be great because Zizou played i the same position and he was the best in that role. They could talk about it an forge a special connection," Berbatov explained. "And besides, Zidane is French and that also helps. They are small details, but Zidane has been in the same situation as Pogba himself and will know how to get the best out of Paul to try and make him the best midfielder in the world, like Zidane was".
"The best thing Pogba could do is to leave United"
Whether he ends up at Real Madrid or somewhere else, Pogba looks certain to be moving on ad that would be to his benefit, says Berbatov. "If it is true that he is genuinely unhappy, if he continues to be left out of the side then of course, the best thing would be for him to leave United," he continued. "He doesn't look like he is in his best form to me. It's true that he is playing after having Covid, which could be a big factor. Even so, you can see that Solskjaer doesn't have faith in him and it would be best for United and Pogba to go separate ways".
"Raiola is wrong, he works for Pogba, not the other way around"
Berbatov added that the declarations made by Mino Raiola just before United's decisive Champions League game against Leipzig didn't help. The agent insisted that Pogba isn't happy at Old Trafford. "I don't think Pogba knew what Raiola was going to say. It's embarrassing for the player. And let's not forget that Raiola works for Pogba ad not the other way around. Agents have to do what their clients say. That interview was not the way to go about things. I'm sure that Raiola and Pogba would have spoken about his situation at United, but coming out with that just before such a crucial game was completely unnecessary. That's something which would never have happened during my time at United. With Ferguson, nobody would have dared to speak about the team or the coach, no one would have dared show a lack of respect for the club and the manager".
No Christmas drinks for Cristiano Ronaldo
Berbatov was a team mate of Cristiano Ronaldo at United and gave an insight into the Juventus star he used to know following his brace in the 0-3 win against Barcelona at Camp Nou. "I was very lucky to share a season with him. Training with him was like being at war, because he didn't think about anything else but winning all of the time - even the little practice matches we used to play. But it wasn't a bad thing, quite the opposite. Cristiano was a great kid who raised the competitive atmosphere of the team," Berbatov recalled. "He was fun, kind and good company. We had such a great time during the Christmas parties but very professional. I ever saw him drink once - he really looked after himself in quite an extreme way. You would arrive for training and he would already be in the gym. The he would stay on after the session had finished to practice his shooting. Training would be over and he would go for a swim or back to the gym. He was totally dedicated on being the best. When Cristiano retires, of course new stars will emerge but until he and Messi hang up their boots, we will never realise the dimension of those two sports stars who we enjoy watching every day," he concluded.