Paul Pogba, the French international footballer, expressed relief on Friday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his four-year doping ban to 18 months. Currently under contract with Juventus until 2026, Pogba will be eligible to return to competitive play on March 11, 2025, just days before his 32nd birthday.
In a statement to the Press Association, Pogba said, “Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.” He maintained that he never intentionally violated World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules, explaining that the testosterone found in his system stemmed from a nutritional supplement prescribed by a doctor and did not enhance athletic performance.
Pogba acknowledged the strict nature of doping regulations but expressed gratitude to the judges at CAS for considering his case. “This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold,” he added.
CAS confirmed the decision earlier in the day, stating that Pogba’s 18-month suspension would take effect from September 11, 2023. The rationale behind the decision will be released later.
The ban followed Pogba’s positive test for testosterone in August 2023, after a match between Juventus and Udinese. He was provisionally suspended in September and subsequently faced a four-year ban from the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February 2024. His representatives attributed the positive test to a food supplement recommended by a U.S. doctor.
After the initial ban, Paul Pogba took to Instagram to express his shock and heartbreak over the situation, stating that it felt like everything he had built in his career was lost. Following the CAS ruling, he shared a silent post featuring a close-up of his football boots adorned with his initials, the French flag, and two stars representing his World Cup victories.
Pogba, a key player in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, has faced numerous challenges since returning to Juventus in 2022, including a series of injuries that limited his appearances to just 10 during the 2022-23 season and a recent extortion case involving his brother, Mathias.
