Paul Pogba doping ban reduced from four years to 18 months after appeal
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday that Paul Pogba's doping suspension has been reduced to 18 months, down from the original four-year ban.
"The suspension has been set for 18 months, beginning on September 11, 2023," stated Matthieu Reeb, the director general of Cas.
In September 2023, the French player faced a temporary suspension from Italy's national anti-doping agency (Nado Italia) after he tested positive for DHEA, a prohibited substance that increases testosterone levels.
The 31-year-old, currently signed with Juventus until June 2026, has rejected any allegations against him and announced in February that he plans to appeal to Cas. The doping test took place following Juventus's 3-0 win against Udinese, which marked the season opener in Serie A on August 20, 2023.
The court stated that it had found banned "non-endogenous testosterone metabolites" and noted that the findings indicated these substances likely came from an outside source.
When the ban was announced, Pogba's representative, Rafaela Pimenta, stated to Sky Sports News, "Paul has always aimed to follow the regulations."
On Friday, Pogba, who mentioned he would share his complete story once he is no longer bound by legal constraints, shared a close-up photo on social media of himself wearing football boots and custom socks with the initials PP6, adorned with the French flag and two stars (symbolizing their World Cup victories), along with an hourglass emoji.
“Finally, the ordeal has come to an end. I’m excited for the day when I can pursue my dreams once more,” the player expressed in a statement. “I have always maintained that I never intentionally violated any world anti-doping agency rules when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed by my doctor, which does not improve or enhance the performance of male athletes.”
"This has been an incredibly tough time for me, as everything I've dedicated myself to has been paused."
