Former Manchester United and France international player Paul Pogba is set to return to football following a successful appeal against his four-year ban for doping offences.
Paul Pogba has not played a competitive match since appearing as a substitute for the final half-hour in Serie A side Juventus’ 2-0 win over Empoli in September 2023 but has now been cleared for a return to action in 2025.
CAS Confirm Reduction of Paul Pogba Ban
In a statement from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the 31-year-old is set to return to professional football in March 2025 after seeing his ban reduced from four years to 18 months. A return to official training is set for the new year. Initially, Pogba was suspended following a positive drug test after the opening fixture of the 23/24 season against Udinese, which showed he had raised testosterone levels.
Further in the statement, it states that Pogba ingested the substance as part of a supplement that was given to him by a doctor in Florida who reassured him that the supplement was safe. The Italian National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO Italia) ruled against him saying it was reckless and justified the original four-year ban.
Finally, the statement outlines that while it was unintentional, he still has to take fault for the incident taking place in the first place.
Club Future Unclear as Juventus Look to Terminate Contract
The player’s future remains unclear as Juventus are in talks about terminating his deal, leaving him a free agent. He is still one of the highest earners at the club and had been suffering from injury problems before his suspension.
Juventus have been active in securing midfield reinforcements with Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram arriving at the club in the period that the French midfielder has been absent. This has pushed Paul Pogba further down the pecking order and a move away would be the best outcome for all parties.
Peter Young of Football Italia reports that Barcelona are one of the clubs keeping tabs on his situation, though given their financial struggles it seems unlikely. Marseille are another side mentioned in the report with a move to the MLS appearing the most likely possibility.