Paul Pogba's four-year doping ban has been reduced to 18 months following his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This decision allows the France World Cup winner to return to football in March 2025.(More Sports News)
The French World Cup winner was given a four-year suspension after he tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA, a banned substance by WADA because of its testosterone-boosting effects.
This happened after Juventus won against Udinese in the 2023/24 Serie A in August last year. In that match Pogba never played but was already bench warmed up, and then substituted in by Bologna and Empoli. After his positive test results were made public, he was suspended in September 2023.
Pogba, 31, requested a counter-analysis, but the second test also confirmed the presence of DHEA, triggering a four-year ban. This would have kept him out until March 2027, jeopardizing his career. However, in a significant development, his suspension has been reduced to 18 months.
Pogba's argument that he had ingested the substance accidentally was gratifying and it earned him the reduction of his suspension.
Under the new ruling, Pogba will be allowed to resume training with his teammates in January 2025, giving him plenty of time to prepare for his return to the pitch in March.
Though Pogba's journey since leaving Old Trafford has been rocky, his upcoming comeback presents an opportunity to reignite his career and make a strong impact on Juventus' ambitions.
