Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has successfully reduced his four-year doping ban to 18 months following an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 31-year-old was initially suspended in September 2023 after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) following Juventus’ game against Udinese in August 2023.
Despite not playing in the match, Pogba’s test showed elevated levels of DHEA, a compound that can boost hormone production, including testosterone.
Although Pogba maintained that he unknowingly took a supplement prescribed by a doctor, he was banned for violating the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.
Pogba’s appeal helped reduce the ban, which will now allow him to return to football in March 2025.
Pogba expressed relief, stating, “Finally the nightmare is over,” and thanked CAS for understanding his explanation. Though the reduction is a positive outcome, he will still need to wait until January to resume training and March to play.
CAS’s decision to reduce the ban acknowledged that Pogba’s actions were not intentional. The €5,000 fine initially imposed on him was also set aside.