Monaco boss Pocognoli was insistent that Pogba's return to action is a good thing for French football, saying on Saturday: "I'm happy for him, even if the circumstances are a bit unfortunate. He came on at 4-0, with 10 men against 11. It was planned that he would come on today, regardless of the scenario, because he had put everything in place. It will do him good, it will do the team good. Apart from our defeat, it sends positive vibes to French football."
"We are all happy, even the Rennes supporters who are not Monaco fans. I hope he can bring us his experience," Monaco team-mate Lamine Camara added.
Pogba's first appearance in over two years also resonated well with the Rennes squad, as Mahdi Camara said at full time: "Everyone knows Paul Pogba, he's a legend of French football. "It's great to see him on a Ligue 1 pitch. We've already seen... seen how he plays, you can see he's already at a good level. As spectators, we can't wait to see him at his best. It's fantastic. He tried to put a sombrero on me!"
Former Monaco man Embolo, who scored Rennes' third, added: "Paul deserves it, he's a truly great player, a truly great man." And on the reception from the fans, the Swiss striker commented: "Well done to our fans. He deserved it, I'm very happy for him, I hope he'll bring good things to his team."