Remembering the Greatest Juventus No.10s as Paul Pogba Cheapens Its Legacy

When it comes to the most famous and well-respected shirt numbers in European football, the Juventus No. 10 ranks high on any list. It has been passed from one truly great player to another with incredible regularity, and the sheer volume of legends to have worn it is a testament to its prestige.

It should be viewed with similar reverence to the No. 9 of Newcastle United or the Manchester United No. 7. The latter of those two English clubs are, of course, the reason the Turin giants will go into the 2016/17 season with their most hallowed shirt vacant, thanks to their summer purchase of Paul Pogba.

The France midfielder only inherited it 12 months earlier, switching from the No. 6 he will now wear at Old Trafford, but Pogba undeniably enjoyed the best season of his career with the No. 10 on his back.

Topping his previous best tallies for goals and assists with 10 and 14, respectively, in all competitions, his contribution looks remarkable even from the most basic level of statistical analysis.

GRAPHIC: Paul Pogba pic.twitter.com/3UCxEu0kU5

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) August 7, 2016

Figures provided by WhoScored.com show that no player in Serie A made more assists (12), while only Franco Vazquez (126) completed more dribbles than Pogba’s final total of 120. The same source also highlights that his 47 interceptions were a career-high, with his 76 tackles only bettered by the 84 he registered in 2013/14.

Yet his contribution went beyond an ability to fill up a stat sheet. His impact on the biggest matches was also markedly more pronounced than ever before, with the 23-year-old shining just when the Bianconeri needed him most.

As last season reached its climax, Juventus were locked in a desperate battle for the Serie A title and trying to overcome Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, and Pogba shrugged off some indifferent form to carry the team forward.

With the club having made a disastrous start, the Scudetto was far from assured, but the Frenchman’s play—filled with tricks, delicate first touches and overwhelmingly powerful shots—helped deliver it, only for him to end the summer wearing a different shirt.

BLAH BLAH BLAH. Let the talkers talk. The best focus on being first. #FirstNeverFollowshttps://t.co/5VZI2D8jW6

— adidasfootball (@adidasfootball) July 30, 2016

That caused much anger and resentment among Juventus supporters, but this was about so much more than his decision to go back to Manchester. The crass marketing campaign shown in the tweet above disappointed many, yet more than anything, it was the way in which Pogba treated the famous shirt number that truly stirred emotions in Turin.

Andrea, a fan who regularly takes his place in the Curva Sud at Juventus Stadium, explained those feelings to Bleacher Report, discussing just what the exit of the France international meant:

We survived after Zinedine Zidane, we’ll survive after Pogba, right? He won’t be part of our history, he’s just part of our past now.

The “Juventus 10” is the …

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