CAS confirmed with an official statement that Paul Pogba’s doping ban has been reduced to 18 months, but Italian sources claim Juventus will now begin talks to terminate the midfielder’s contract.
Pogba’s doping ban has officially been reduced to 18 months, meaning the French midfielder can return to action in March 2025, CAS confirmed in a statement on Monday.
“The CAS Panel in charge of the matter partially upheld the appeal filed by Paul Pogba,” the statement reads.
“It has confirmed the ADRV but reduced the sanction imposed on the Player to an 18-month period of ineligibility,
commencing on 11 September 2023, and cancelled the fine.
“The CAS Panel based its decision on the evidence and legal arguments made that Mr Pogba’s ingestion
of DHEA, the substance for which he tested positive, was not intentional and was the result of erroneously
taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida after Mr Pogba had been given
assurances that the medical doctor, who had claimed to treat several high-level US and international
athletes was knowledgeable and would be mindful of Mr Pogba’s anti-doping obligations under the
World Anti-Doping Code.
Pogba doping ban reduced: what happens now?
“Mr Pogba sought a sanction of only 12 months in recognition of the presence of some fault on his part (he did not seek a determination of no fault or negligence from the CAS Panel). NADO Italia argued that the Player’s recklessness was serious and justified a 4-year ban. Mr Pogba’s case was supported by several experts. Much of the evidence provided by Mr Pogba was unopposed. The CAS Panel determined, however, that Mr Pogba was not without fault and that, as a professional football player, he should have paid a greater care in the circumstances.”
Pogba failed a doping test in August 2023 and has not trained with the rest of the Juventus team since September last year.
He is under contract with the Serie A giants until June 2026, but several sources say he’s not part of Thiago Motta’s plans. For this reason, according to Sky Sport Italia, Juventus will now begin talks to terminate the midfielder’s contract.
Other sources claimed last week that Juventus still wanted to terminate Pogba’s deal despite his ban reduction.
Juventus coach Thiago Motta and director Cristiano Giuntoli have said that Pogba “was” a great player.
Giuntoli suggested on Sunday that Juventus were waiting for an official CAS statement before taking any step forward.