Paul Pogba rubbished claims that he has left the French national team as ‘unacceptable fake news’.
Reports in the Middle East claimed Pogba had retired from international football in response to Emmanuel Macron on Islam and terrorism.
The French president condemned an attack on Samuel Paty, 47, in the northwest of Paris, where the teacher was stabbed and beheaded on his way home from a high school, and described it as an ‘Islamic terrorist attack’.
President Macron: We will not give up on the cartoons. Samuel Paty was killed because Islamists want our future. They will never have it.
Now the Arab world has called for a boycott of French goods. Erdogan says Macron needs “mental checks".
Stand with Macron. #StandWithFrance. pic.twitter.com/qdb8SP6H6Q
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) October 25, 2020
Paty has since been bestowed with the Legion d’honneur, which is France’s highest honor, posthumously for trying to explain the importance of free speech.
Allegations later surfaced claiming that Pogba, a known Muslim, resented the teacher’s honor and Macron’s comments.
Reports claimed the Manchester United midfielder considered these events an insult both to himself and his fellow French Muslims. However, he has now denied those claims altogether on Monday.
Pogba posted a picture of the story on Twitter, and his other social media channels, with the caption: “Unacceptable fake news.”
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) October 26, 2020
The World Cup winner converted to Islam in his 20s and revealed last year he did so to become a better person in life.
Speaking in The Times’ new Life Times podcast, Pogba said: “It’s everything. That’s what makes me thankful for everything.
“It made me change, realize things in life. I guess, maybe, it makes me more peaceful inside.
“It was a good change in my life because I wasn’t born a Muslim, even if my mum was. I just grew up like that, respect for everyone.
“Islam is not the image that everyone sees – terrorism… What we hear in the media is really something else, it’s something beautiful.
“You get to know it. Anybody can find that he feels connected with Islam.”