Paul Pogba debuts for Monaco in first game in over two years
Paris (AP): Former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba made his Monaco debut on Saturday, playing his first minutes in over two years.
The 32-year-old Pogba came on in the 85th minute of a 4-1 loss at Rennes in the French league.
Once a standout world champion for France, the midfielder saw his career derailed by injuries, off-field problems and a doping ban.
He wept when he signed his contract with Monaco during the offseason on a two-year deal in a bid to relaunch his career. He recently overcame a minor ankle injury and resumed training with Monaco during the international break.
A total of 811 days had passed since his last game, when he made his last appearance for Juventus on Sept. 3, 2023.
At his peak, Pogba helped his country win the 2018 World Cup, scoring in the final when France beat Croatia 4-2. He spent most of his career between United and Juventus, finally leaving the Italian club in November 2024.
In 2016, Pogba became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($116 million).
The biggest blow to his career came in February 2024 when he was initially banned for four years by Italy's anti-doping court after he tested positive for testosterone while at still at Juventus. In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his ban to 18 months.
PSG back topParis Saint-Germain beat Le Havre 3-0 at home to move back to the top of the standings ahead of next week's Champions League game against Tottenham.
Lee Kang-in, João Neves and Bradley Barcola all scored for Luis Enrique's side as it move two points ahead of Marseille and Lens.
Lens beat Strasbourg 1-0 to pull level with Marseille in second place.
Defender Ismaelo Ganiou scored his first league goal in the 69th of a game that both teams ended with 10 men. Strasbourg was down a man when Valentin Barco saw a red card in the 77th. Lens lost Morgan Guilavogui red card in extra time.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
