What if it was Paul Pogba who was arrested?

With Harry Maguire facing scrutiny for his alleged misconduct while on holiday in Greece, Ahmed Shooble considers how differently the British media might have covered the story if the player in question was not Maguire but Paul Pogba; and, more generally, he examines the double standard by which wealthy black footballers are often judged in the UK. 

After their first season together at Old Trafford, two of Manchester United’s most expensive signings have endured polar receptions despite similar levels of impact. Paul Pogba missed much of the season due to an ankle injury, underwent surgery and returned to help boost his side to a 3rd place finish. But when United struggled for periods in the Frenchman’s absence, the discussions still somehow revolved around Pogba while he was helpless on the treatment table.

Meanwhile, after his £80 million move, Harry Maguire helped the team ship 18 fewer goals than in the previous campaign. But he also had a habit of making high-profile mistakes and as captain, this can be unsettling for the rest of the team. Despite this, Maguire still seems to have won over more fans than Pogba.

Of course, Roy Keane tore into the England international in traditional Roy Keane fashion after one of his more glaring errors against Tottenham in June. As scathing (or cringe) as Keane’s rant was, he kept it to the football and did not make any assumptions about Maguire’s character.

But what happens when a footballer is alleged to have acted in a manner which would force one to consider their character? What happens when we are then reminded of how much of a model citizen that player is despite the allegations in question? What happens when you know Pogba would not be granted the same luxury if the allegations were made against him instead?

There would be absolutely no space for hypothetical shortlists of who the club thought might have been involved. No room for presumptive reaches about why he comes across as bland in interviews. No scope for shallow observations on his modesty after a cursory scroll through Instagram.

All who threw dirt on Pogba’s name would feel vindicated if it were him instead of Maguire as it would reinforce the idea that he is a “virus”, a “bad boy”, if you will. But in reality Pogba, and other black players, represent a new age in football where players can come from nothing, earn millions and be among the biggest assets to some of the world’s largest sporting institutions – and that makes some people uncomfortable.

You only have to cast your mind back three weeks to recall the vitriol which forced Alex Iwobi to delete pictures from his Instagram. What was the reason I hear you ask? Well, the picture showed Iwobi boarding a private jet with a Rolls Royce also in shot – so my only answer is spending his money. Of course, the timing was clumsy but the fact the 24-year-old was scapegoated for something completely out of his hands shows a distasteful intolerance for black players enjoying the wealth they earn. It also shows a wilful ignorance to overlook the community work Iwobi has done and continues to do with Everton.

“All who threw dirt on Pogba’s name would feel vindicated if it were him instead of Maguire as it would reinforce the idea that he is a “virus”, a “bad boy”.”

Going back six months now and we arrive at yet another example of black players being overly criticised for no apparent reason. On BBC Radio Derby’s Sportscene podcast, Craig Ramage spoke in terms which black people will be all too aware of. "When I look at certain players, their body language, their stance, the way they act, you just feel, 'whoa, hold on a minute - he needs pulling down a peg or two'. So I'd probably say that about all the young black lads." What is most striking about these comments is that Ramage did not specifically reference an act or incident to back his point up. He just said it and the fact he did so dismissively implies this is a regularly held view.

Now imagine if these players were alleged to have actually done something like assault a police officer on holiday? For some, it appears the urge to attack Pogba’s character is too hard to resist, no matter how far the stretch. A minor disagreement with how the 27-year-old world champion lives his life almost invariably leads to a tirade of personal shots aimed at the man as opposed to the footballer.

Any semblance of an interest outside of football, or any extracurricular endeavour for that matter, equates a lack of focus on the pitch. But if we look at football as a job, we understand that nobody lives and breathes drab press releases and awkward lift chatter – so how can we expect footballers to be 100% focused on the game outside of work hours?

If we use the example set by those whose gears are ground by Pogba’s choices, we arrive at the same conclusion. Sky Sports pundit and regular Pogba critic, Graeme Souness was no stranger to the odd extracurricular activity himself. The Scotsman posed for the camera (thick ‘tache and all) while taking a healthy swig of Irn Bru, accompanied by the words; “Made in Scotland from girders (the pair of them)”. While this is a harmless advert which many Scottish people take pride in, judging by Souness’ current standards, his focus looks a little off.

It is also anyone’s guess how Gary Neville can so frivolously label Pogba as “typically selfish” while also lamenting football’s treatment of “mavericks” and how the sport is being weaned of these characters. Whenever Pogba displays an iota of individualism, on or off the pitch, it is almost always met with contempt. You get the hopeless feeling that players like Pogba are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

No matter how many testimonies we hear from fellow players about how supportive Pogba is, he is still bombarded with unsubstantiated jibes from people who are not in positions to make such comments – and this is the case for the vast majority of black footballers in the UK.

The purpose of this article is not to ensure people hang Maguire out to dry. It is to use the treatment of two players at the same club whose impact and actions have not aligned at all with their coverage. When Pogba can be criticised for “shooting hoops” but Gareth Bale spends his days playing golf, the Welshman is seen as an eccentric at best and aloof at worst, this sends a message which makes a lot of people uncomfortable – including me. Given how minor Pogba’s “transgressions” are in comparison to the ones Maguire is alleged to have committed, is Pogba treated too harshly or is everyone else getting too fair a shake? For me, it is a bit of both but the Frenchman remains the easiest of targets.

Regardless, it is an issue which needs to be fixed and it should start with acknowledging and calling out unconscious biases held against black footballers – particularly in the media. When I, and many other black people, see these patterns time and time again it makes us wonder what all the hubbub over Raheem Sterling’s comments was about if the same patterns keep emerging.