Paul Pogba has expressed relief after his four-year ban for a doping offence was reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Sources close to the 31-year-old Juventus midfielder confirmed to BBC Sport that Pogba can resume training in January 2025, with eligibility to play again from March.
The France international was suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (NADO) in February after elevated levels of testosterone, a hormone known to enhance endurance, were detected in his system during a routine drugs test.
Matthieu Reeb, CAS director general, told Reuters that Pogba’s suspension has been reduced to 18 months, effective from 11 September 2023.
In a statement, Pogba expressed his gratitude and relief: “Finally, the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.”
He reiterated that he never knowingly violated World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, explaining:
“I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.”
Pogba continued, emphasizing his commitment to fair play: “I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation.”
He reflected on the emotional toll of the situation: “This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.”
The former Manchester United midfielder had taken his case to CAS, where he provided in-person testimony earlier this summer. Pogba had previously maintained that he would “never knowingly or deliberately” use performance-enhancing substances and believed the original verdict was “incorrect.”
Had the initial four-year ban stood, Pogba, a 2018 World Cup winner, would have been ineligible to play until 2027, by which time he would be 34 years old.
Pogba’s provisional suspension began in September 2023 after a random test was conducted following Juventus’ opening match of the 2023-24 season on 20 August. NADO later confirmed the positive test after a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office had requested a four-year suspension.
At the time of his initial suspension, Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, asserted his innocence:
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule.”
Pogba rejoined Juventus in July 2022 on a four-year contract, having left Manchester United as a free agent after six years with the Premier League club. However, his return to Turin has been marred by recurring injuries, which also caused him to miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Pogba made just five appearances during the 2022-23 season, totaling 162 minutes, and played only 51 minutes as a substitute in the following campaign before his suspension.
