French international footballer Paul Pogba’s initial four-year ban for doping has been reduced to 18 months, as confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday.
This decision comes after Pogba tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone in August 2023, following a Serie A match between Juventus and Udinese. While the reduction offers some reprieve for the Juventus midfielder, the controversy has deeply impacted his career, raising questions about his future in football.
A spokesperson for CAS told AFP, “I can confirm the decision: an 18-month suspension with effect from 11 September 2023. The reasons for the decision will follow later.” Pogba, who is contracted with Juventus until 2026, will now be eligible to return to competitive football on March 11, 2025, just days before his 32nd birthday.
The doping controversy initially surfaced when Pogba was provisionally suspended in September 2023 after his positive test for testosterone. The Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal later imposed a four-year ban in February 2024, a ruling that threatened to derail the career of one of France’s most celebrated footballers.
Pogba’s representatives have maintained that the elevated testosterone levels were the result of a food supplement prescribed by a doctor Pogba consulted while in the United States. This defense played a key role in securing the reduction of his ban.
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Following the initial ban, Pogba took to social media, expressing his devastation. In an emotional Instagram post, he wrote, “I have never knowingly or deliberately taken doping products. I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.”
While the CAS decision provides Pogba with an opportunity to return to football sooner than originally anticipated, the ruling marks a tumultuous chapter in his career.
On the evening of the CAS ruling, Pogba posted a simple, wordless image on his Instagram account—a close-up of his football boots adorned with his initials, the French flag, and two stars, symbolizing France’s World Cup victories. The absence of words in the post reflected the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on him.
Paul Pogba, a key figure in France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, has had a career full of highs and lows. During his first stint with Juventus, Pogba won four Serie A titles and established himself as one of the world’s best midfielders.
However, since his high-profile return to Juventus in 2022 after a six-year spell at Manchester United, his career has been plagued by injuries and off-field issues.
In the 2022-23 season, Pogba made only 10 appearances for Juventus due to a knee injury, which also forced him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where France narrowly lost to Argentina in the final.
Aside from his injury woes and the doping scandal, Pogba has also been embroiled in personal and legal difficulties.
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In a high-profile case of organized extortion, Pogba’s own brother, Mathias, along with five other men, were charged and ordered to stand trial in 2024. The extortion case, which became public in 2022, has added an extra layer of turmoil to the midfielder’s already difficult year.
As Pogba looks to March 2025 for his return to competitive football, his focus will likely be on rebuilding his career and reputation. For now, the reduced ban offers a glimmer of hope for the former World Cup winner, but the road ahead remains uncertain.
With Juventus and the broader football world watching, Pogba will have to prove not only his fitness and form but also his resolve to overcome the challenges that have shaken his once-stellar career.