Paul Pogba on Cristiano Ronaldo during his darkest period: “When the suspension news came out, my phone was blowing up for two days… then suddenly, silence. People I thought were brothers disappeared. Agents stopped calling. Friends became busy. Football can make you feel loved… but it can also reveal who’s truly real. But one person I never expected to hear from was Cristiano. He didn’t call to talk about football, training, or the headlines. He just asked me one thing… ‘How is your family? Are you okay mentally?’ That hit me deeply. A few days later, he told me, ‘If you need anything — for your family, your recovery, your life — call me. Never let pride stop you from accepting help.’ At that moment, I wasn’t speaking to Cristiano Ronaldo the superstar… I was speaking to a man who understood pain, pressure, and loneliness. I’ve played with champions before… but hard times show you who the real ones truly are.” Thomas Tuchel: “Cole Palmer wasn’t as decisive as previous seasons, he wasn’t available for us a lot and wasn’t decisive”. “He also competes in the right half 10 position, where we decided for Jude, Morgan and Ebs who are outstanding players, had better season and more decisive in our camps than Cole”.
