French footballer, Paul Pogba has expressed relief after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), allowing him to return to training in January 2025 and to play again from March.
The Juventus midfielder, who was originally handed a lengthy suspension by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (NADO) in February, described the decision as the end of a “nightmare.”
“Finally, the nightmare is over,” Pogba said in a statement. “I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.”
The 31-year-old French international tested positive for elevated testosterone levels following a random test after Juventus’ first match of the 2023-24 season. Pogba maintained that the positive test resulted from taking a nutritional supplement prescribed by a doctor and insisted he had “never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations.”
“I play with integrity, and although I must accept this is a strict liability offence, I want to thank the CAS judges for hearing my explanation,” Pogba added. “This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.”
The midfielder had initially faced a four-year ban, which would have sidelined him until 2027, when he would have been 34 years old. However, after presenting his case at a CAS hearing earlier this year, the ban was reduced, allowing him an earlier return to football.
Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, had previously stated that “Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule” following his provisional suspension in September 2023. The Juventus star had managed limited game time in recent seasons due to injuries, including missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite the challenges, Pogba remains hopeful about resuming his career once the suspension officially ends in 2025.
