Paul Pogba to return to the field in 2025: his doping sanction significantly reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport

Paul Pogba pourra revenir plus vite que prévu à la compétition. ANSA – ALESSANDRO DI MARCO

Initially suspended for four years following a positive testosterone test, Paul Pogba reportedly saw his sanction reduced to just 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which would allow him to return to the field as early as March 2025.

“I confirm the decision : 18 months of suspension from September 11, 2023. The decision is made without the reasons, which will follow later", he told AFP. Under contract with Juventus Turin until 2026, the French international (91 caps, 11 goals), who will be 32 on March 15, will therefore be authorized to resume competition from March 11.

On Friday evening, he posted a close-up photo on his X account of two feet wearing football boots bearing the Pogba logo with socks bearing his initials adorned with the French flag and the two stars of the world champion.

Tested positive for testosterone in August 2023 during a match between Juventus and Udinese and provisionally suspended in September of the same year, Paul Pogba had been suspended for four years on February 29 by the national anti-doping court. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which he appealed, reduced this suspension to eighteen months from September 11, 2023.

I have never knowingly or deliberately taken supplements that would violate anti-doping regulations

In a message published on Instagram after the announcement of his four-year suspension, Pogba had affirmed that he had "never knowingly or deliberately taken&quot of doping products. “I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built during my career as a professional player has been taken away from me", he added.

“When I am freed from the legal restrictions, the whole story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that would violate anti-doping regulations."

To explain this positive doping test, his entourage had put forward the theory of accidental contamination via a food supplement prescribed by a doctor consulted in the United States. Testosterone, a hormone of fertility and male sexuality, promotes muscle development. 

A hammer blow

This affair had the effect of a hammer blow on a player who had been going through a very complicated period for several months, punctuated by injuries and extra-sporting affairs. A key player in the world title won by Les Bleus in Russia in 2018, he was one of the great stars of world football before seeing his popularity decline after a litany of misfortunes on and off the pitch.

During the 2022-2023 season, Pogba had only made ten appearances for Juve, due in particular to a meniscus injury in his right knee and, with a heavy heart, had to accept an operation that would deprive him of the World Cup in Qatar, where the French team failed in the final against Argentina in December 2022.

The player was also the victim of a scandal of organized extortion, for which six men including his brother Mathias were brought before the Paris Criminal Court last month.