Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba received a four-year ban in March following a doping violation. He was provisionally suspended in September 2023 after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) a month earlier. The 31-year-old was initially set to be sidelined from football until August 2027.
Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) granted the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office’s request in March, imposing a four-year ban on Pogba, the standard penalty under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA). This decision meant Pogba wouldn’t have been eligible to return to football until August 2027.
However, the World Cup winner’s ban has now been reduced by 18 months from 4 years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed on Friday. A four-year anti-doping ban can be shortened if the athlete proves the violation was unintentional, due to contamination, or if they offer “substantial assistance” to investigators.
The ruling allows the former France international to be eligible for a return to competitive football in March 2025.
“Finally the nightmare is over. Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.” Pogba said.
“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,” he added.
The 31-year-old has been sidelined since August 2023 after testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels, following Juventus’ Serie A match against Udinese.
“I play with integrity, and although I must accept that this is a strict liability offense, I want to place my thanks on record 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 cannot wait to get back on the pitch.”
🚨 Paul Pogba will be back to action in 2025, confirmed!
His 4 year drug ban has been reduced to just 18 months, as @MailSport reported.
Pogba can start training with Juventus in January and then he will be allowed to play official matches by March. pic.twitter.com/THBX9JeXzR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 4, 2024
According to sources cited by ESPN’s Julien Laurens, Pogba has been working to stay fit during his ban and is confident that he will quickly regain match sharpness, despite having not played a competitive game in nearly 14 months.
In 2016, Pogba became the most expensive footballer in history when he transferred from Juventus to Manchester United for €105 million ($113 million). He played a key role in France’s 2018 World Cup victory and rejoined Juventus as a free agent in 2022. However, injuries restricted him to just eight Serie A appearances during his second stint at the club before his ban.
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Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
