Footballers play FM too. And sometimes they do it in front of the cameras, forgetting that the internet sees everything.
Caught on video
In June 2014, during the World Cup in Brazil, an FFF TV video about daily life in the French camp showed, around the minute-and-a-half mark, Paul Pogba’s screen. He was playing Football Manager 2014. The Off The Post website spotted it and the news spread immediately.
Pogba was at Juventus. In the save, he was managing Chelsea. And, of course, he was in the squad.
Pogba’s starting eleven
Petr Čech in goal. Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanović and Asamoah in defense. Pogba in midfield alongside Frank Lampard, with Hazard, Oscar and Mata further forward, and Jesé Rodríguez, signed from Real Madrid, up front.
And there is an extra twist. Pogba kept Mata in the squad, even though Mourinho had sold him to Manchester United months earlier, in January 2014. Two years later, the one who went to United, for a record fee, was Pogba himself. He never went to Stamford Bridge. FM does not always get it right.
He was not the only one
Pogba is not the only case in the French squad. Griezmann was also caught playing FM and accidentally sparking transfer rumors. We already covered that in our bizarre stories caused by Football Manager.
Imagine peeking at the saves of some Portuguese league players today. It would be fun.
Sources: Bleacher Report (06/22/2014) · theScore