A spokesperson for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that Paul Pogba has been handed an 18-month suspension, effective from September 11, 2023. The full explanation behind the decision is yet to be released.
Pogba, under contract with Juventus until 2026, will be eligible to return to football on March 11, 2025, just four days before his 32nd birthday. The midfielder tested positive for testosterone following a match between Juventus and Udinese in August 2023. Initially, he was provisionally suspended in September before receiving a four-year ban from the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February 2024.
Pogba’s representatives stated that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor in the United States. Following the initial ban, Pogba took to Instagram, insisting that he had “never knowingly or deliberately” taken any banned substances. “I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he wrote.
On Friday, after the CAS decision, Pogba shared a silent post on Instagram, featuring a close-up of his football boots. His socks were adorned with his initials, the French flag, and the two stars representing France’s World Cup wins.
Pogba played a crucial role in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph in Russia and won four Serie A titles during his first stint at Juventus. However, his return to the club in 2022 was marred by injuries and off-field issues. He made only 10 appearances for Juventus during the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury, which also forced him to miss the World Cup in Qatar, where France finished as runners-up to Argentina.
In addition, Pogba has faced personal challenges, including a case of organized extortion involving six men, one of whom was his brother Mathias. Last month, they were ordered to stand trial.