Italy rue ace they let slip to Sporting: “We had the new Pogba” | OneFootball

Issa Doumbia continues to make an impact in Italy, even after leaving the country to join Sporting. The Sporting midfielder was the subject of a report by ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’, which compares him to Paul Pogba and praises how quickly the green-and-whites recognized the player’s potential.

“We had the new Pogba, but Sporting saw it: who Doumbia is and how he plays”, reads the headline of the Italian publication, which laments the fact that a player with this much potential passed through Venezia, in Serie B, before heading to Alvalade.

The report also revisits some episodes from the midfielder’s youth. “When he was a kid, he dreamed of Paul [Pogba]; they called him [Emmanuel] Petit and he wore his hair in a mohawk, like Balotelli. Then he grew up and became a midfielder unlike any other.”

The Italian newspaper also recalls his standout season with Venezia and Sporting’s investment. “Last year, he dominated Serie B. Sporting signed him for 20 million and already in pre-season...”, writes the publication, which presents Doumbia as one of the key figures in a Champions League-level midfield.

The 20-year-old player’s performances have also not gone unnoticed by Roberto Mancini. Italy’s new national team coach included Doumbia in the preliminary squad for the upcoming international fixtures and recently went to Alvalade to watch Sporting v Galatasaray and observe the ‘number 77’ up close.

“And Mancini can hardly wait to give him a chance in the national team: but someone should warn Issa in advance that, this time, he should not think it’s a prank,” the author of the piece jokes.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.