Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has denied media reports that he left the French squad of comments made through the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who was perceived as opposed to Islam.
The French leader declared this month the war on “Islamist separatism” which he said is affecting some Muslim communities in France.
The Sun newspaper alleged that Pogba, a practicing Muslim, had reacted to Macron’s comments leaving the national team. Since then, the paper has apologized and its history.
“Unacceptable,” the 27-year-old wrote on Instagram with a “fake news” tag on a screenshot of The Sun’s title.
“So the sun has done it again, ” he added. Surely there is unfounded news about me, indicating things I’ve never said or what I’ve never thought about.
“I am dismayed, angry, surprised and frustrated that some media” is “using me to make fake headlines on the delicate subject of French news and to get the French team on the boat.
“I oppose all the bureaucracy of terror and violence. Unfortunately, some hounds act with responsibility when they write the news, abuse their press freedom, check if what they write/reproduce is true, create a gossip chain without worrying. (if) affects people’s lives and my life. “
Pogba added that he plans to take legal action against publishers, while The Sun apologizes.
A spokesman for The Sun said: “We reported a story that Paul Pogba made the decision to leave the French national football team after it was posted on a sports website.
“This story has also been on The Mirror, Mail Online and other websites.
“Later, Paul Pogba denied the claim and updated our story accordingly.
“We for any disorder caused. “
The report came days after Macron paid tribute to a French history instructor who was killed by the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a loose and elegant speech for 13-year-olds.