Best of enemies: Kondogbia vs. Pogba
The midfielders have played together at every age for
France, but Sunday they will go head to head in a crucial Derby
d'Italia clash between Inter and Juventus, says Mark Doyle.
"Paul is like a brother to me — but for 90 minutes this weekend, we’ll be enemies.”Geoffrey Kondogbia has made it clear that he will go through anyone, even his good friend Paul Pogba, in order to ensure that Inter defeats Juventus in Sunday’s Derby d’Italia at San Siro. Actions speak louder than words, of course, but there is no denying that this is a key battle in Kondogbia’s fledgling Inter career and one that he has to win.
Pogba is also under pressure to perform. He has started the season poorly, but even at 22 he has already proven himself the dominant midfielder in Italian football. The feeling in Turin is that he has simply struggled with the weight of not only wearing the iconic No. 10 jersey vacated by Carlos Tevez, but also carrying a Juve midfield shorn of the services of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio.
Pirlo and Vidal both left for pastures new during the summer, but the good news from Juve’s perspective is that Marchisio is finally fit after suffering two separate injuries already this season and his anticipated return to the starting lineup for the trip to Milan is, according to former Juventus and Inter ace Marco Tardelli, hugely significant.
"Pogba has not played as he has done in the past for one simple reason: He no longer has Pirlo beside him," the World Cup winner told Tuttosport during the week. "And being without Andrea is difficult for anyone. Andrea was an example to Pogba. In my opinion, [Juventus coach Massimiliano] Allegri must put a player alongside him and that can be Marchisio.
"Then, Paul must free his mind. The No. 10 jersey has weighed heavily on his shoulders during this difficult start to the season. If he can manage not to think about the shirt on his back, he will return to the level of before."
Kondogbia's situation is less clear cut. Unlike his good friend Pogba, who he shared a room with during France's triumphant Under-20 World Cup campaign in 2013, he does not have credit in the bank. Indeed, the feeling is that Kondogbia is indebted to Inter, which paid 35 million euros ($40 million) to sign him from Monaco this summer. The club is looking for a big return on its considerable investment — and yet has not seen any dividends thus far.
Kondogbia enjoyed an encouraging debut against Atalanta but bar a decent derby against Milan and an influential display against Chievo, he has struggled to play with any great consistency. He certainly has not looked anything like the player that drove Monaco on its surprise run to the quarterfinals of last season's Champions League. He is winning fewer tackles (1.43 per game in Serie A compared to 2.68 during his final campaign in Ligue 1) and making fewer interceptions (0.57 as opposed to an average of 2.48 last season).
Whereas Pogba has conveyed the impression of a man who has taken on too much responsibility, seemingly trying to fill the voids left by Vidal, Pirlo and Marchisio all at once, as well as being confused by Allegri's constant system-changing, Kondogbia seems to be struggling with the basics. Repeatedly caught in possession, he has been unable to build any momentum as an attacking force, meaning there have been no assists, no driving runs.
As Mancini admitted, "Kondogbia has to better understand Italian football," the Nerazzurri boss told Sky Sport Italia. "He takes too many touches and is not used to playing in such tight spaces … but it's only a matter of time for him. I remain convinced that he will do well."
Mancini’s continued faith in Kondogbia is essential. Right now, the Nemours native is being compared unfavorably with his fellow France international Pogba, who is actually a month younger. Pogba arrived in Turin at just 19 and took Serie A by storm. Indeed, so instantaneous was his impact that, by the midway point of his debut campaign, former Juventus coach Antonio Conte had started experimenting with his formation in order to accommodate the teenage sensation.
By contrast, Kondogbia’s place in the Inter starting lineup is already under scrutiny, given fellow midfielders Gary Medel and Felipe Melo have provided the grit and energy that have made up for a collective lack of creativity during the opening seven rounds of the season.
But Mancini is unlikely to drop Kondogbia, as it was he who persuaded the former Lens starlet to choose Inter over AC Milan. Indeed, a phone call from Mancini had been key in Kondogbia's decision to pick the blue half of the city of over the red.
"It is true that I chose Inter for the coach and I always wanted to play in this league," Kondogbia said shortly after his arrival at San Siro. "It is important to improve even more and gaining Mancini's confidence is really important to me."
It is now time, though, that Kondogbia starts repaying that confidence — and his lofty transfer fee. Sunday at San Siro would be the perfect place to start. The only trouble is that Pogba is not just a great friend, he's also a formidable foe.
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