Paul Pogba has expressed his relief after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months following an appeal. The World Cup-winning midfielder tested positive for heightened levels of testosterone in September 2023 and was suspended while the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping investigated the incident. In February 2024, the tribunal announced that Pogba had been suspended for four years due to the failed doping test. However, Pogba immediately lodged an appeal against the decision, stating that he had never knowingly violated anti-doping regulations by taking any supplements.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has now confirmed that Pogba’s appeal was successful, and his ban has been reduced to 18 months. This means he will be eligible to play football again in March 2025. In a statement released on his social media accounts, Pogba expressed his relief that his “nightmare” ban would soon come to an end. He stated that he always maintained his innocence and never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when taking a nutritional supplement prescribed by a doctor.
Pogba emphasized that he plays with integrity and thanked the judges at the Court of Arbitration for Sport who heard his explanation. He described this period as hugely distressing because it put everything he had worked hard for on hold.
Pogba will be able to return to training with Juventus in January 2025 before making his comeback in football.