Pogba doping ban reduced; can return in March
World Cup winner Paul Pogba‘s doping suspension has been reduced to 18 months from an initial four years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.
“The suspension is now 18 months, starting Sept. 11, 2023,” CAS director general Matthieu Reeb told Reuters.
The decision means that the former France international will be eligible to make a return to competitive football in March 2025.
Pogba welcomed the decision in a statement.
“Finally the nightmare is over,” he said. “Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.
“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.”
Four-year bans are standard under the World Anti-Doping Code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was not intentional, if the positive test was a result of contamination or if they provide “substantial assistance” to help investigators.
Pogba, 31, has not played since August 2023 after he tested positive for DHEA — a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone — following Juventus‘ Serie A game against Udinese.
He was provisionally suspended by Italy‘s national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September that year before being handed a four-year ban in February 2024.
Pogba, who has a contract with Juventus until June 2026, denied any wrongdoing and said he would appeal to CAS.
“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 added in Friday’s statement.
“This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.
“I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch.”
Sources told ESPN’s Julien Laurens that Pogba has worked to maintain his fitness during his ban and he believes it won’t take long for him to regain match sharpness, despite not playing a competitive game in almost 14 months.
Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022 after his second stint at Manchester United. After his return to Italy, he was hampered by injuries. He played in 178 matches for Juventus from 2012 to 2016.
He was ruled out of France’s run to the World Cup final in 2022 with a knee injury.
Pogba helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
