October 7 – French international Paul Pogba, once the golden boy of his country’s midfield but whose career took a dramatic downward turn, says his “nightmare is over” after a four-year ban for doping was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Pogba, who is under contract with Juventus until 2026, will be able to return to competitive football from March 11 next year, four days before his 32nd birthday.
“Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again,” said Pogba who has been suspended since the positive test was announced in September last year.
“I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.
“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.”
CAS confirmed reports that the ban was reduced but did not elaborate on the decision.
Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August last year and was handed the maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court. He immediately appealed to CAS.
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.
“This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold,” added Pogba who was the most expensive player in history at the time he joined Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of €105 million in 2016. “I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch,”
A key figure when France won the 2018 World Cup, Pogba returned to Juve as a free agent in 2022. But injuries limited him to just eight Serie A appearances in his second spell at the club amid all kinds of problems on and off the pitch, ruling him out of the subsequent World Cup in Qatar.
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