Veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini has likened former teammate and Manchester United star Paul Pogba to basketball great LeBron James and star sprinter Usain Bolt.
Pogba started out with Manchester United before joining Juventus in 2012.
He enjoyed a successful stint with Juventus, winning the Serie A and the Italian Supercoppa and reaching the 2015 Champions League final before re-joining Manchester United in 2016 for a world record transfer fee.
Chiellini said that Juventus are missing the highly-rated midfielder who of late has been in good form for United.
"We've changed players and now we are a side like any other," the Juventus and Italy defender told Sky Sport.
"We're not used to losing and, in addition to this, we've lost a player like Pogba who was the LeBron James of football and, even when you didn't notice him, he was impressive," the 32-year-old five-time Italian Serie A winner added.
"Pogba was our Usain Bolt -- he allowed us to play in a certain way. Now we've changed. We're working on it and (manager Massimiliano) Allegri is not an idiot."
--IANS
dm/ajb/vt
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors
Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share
Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor
Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements
Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app