Paul Pogba is back in the spotlight, not just because of his upcoming move to AS Monaco after serving an 18-month doping ban, but also thanks to some explosive talk during an interview with ESPN Mexico alongside Sergio Agüero. In a relaxed mood, the World Cup winner with France admitted that at one point he couldn’t stand Rodrigo De Paul so much that he warned teammate Antoine Griezmann that if he faced him on the pitch, “he’d kill him.”

“I told Griezmann, ‘I just can’t stand this guy, I swear. If I play against him, I’ll kill him. Send him a message and tell him I’m coming for him,’” Pogba laughed. But everything changed when he bumped into the Argentine midfielder at a party hosted by Memphis Depay: “I saw him at Memphis’s birthday… and boom. I wanted to kill him before, but then I realized he’s a good guy,” the Frenchman explained.

Intense Argentines on the pitch, warm off it

During the chat, Pogba also reflected on the contrast he sees in Argentine players, who, in his words, are insanely competitive on the field but really nice off it. “Why are Argentines so tough on the pitch? They never stop fighting there, but off the field they’re super chill. Why?” he asked directly to Kun Agüero. He even joked: “You were a pain in the ass on the field, but off it you’re a chill dude. I hated you in the game.”

The midfielder said he actually enjoys having Argentines as teammates because of their character and commitment. He mentioned Marcos Rojo as a perfect example: “He hits hard, always plays tough, and I love that because it gets you ready for matches. With guys like that, you can go to war,” showing the respect he’s gained for that mentality.

Waiting to officially restart his pro career with AS Monaco, Pogba is back in the media spotlight for more than just football. His words about De Paul and Argentine soccer show how rivalries can totally change once the game is over — sometimes even leading to unexpected friendships.