Paul Pogba has released a statement following the news that his four-year suspension has been reduced to just 18 months, claiming that the ‘nightmare is over’ and that he ‘can’t wait’ to get back on the pitch with his Bianconeri teammates.
Pogba was handed a four-year suspension in August 2023, after he failed a routine doping test after a 3-0 win over Udinese in Serie A.
On Friday evening, however, it was announced that the Frenchman had won a successful appeal to the European Court of Arbitration in Lausanne, and is now eligible to return to competitive action in March 2025.
Pogba breaks silence after ban terms reduced
Pogba reiterated in a statement that he had no intention of breaking any anti-doping regulations, and insisted that he took a supplement prescribed by a doctor.
“Finally the nightmare is over,” Pogba wrote in a statement released on Friday evening.
“Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.
“I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency 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.
“This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.
‘Thank you again for all the love and support. I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch.”
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