Jerezano with Madrilenian blood. Sports writer. Graduated in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid. Eternal love for the ball.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has “rescued” Paul Pogba, reducing his four-year doping ban to 18 months, a sentence that had loomed over the French player since February. Just a few days ago, it was expected that the Juventus midfielder would not return to football until 2028, but this latest development changes everything. Pogba will be able to train with the Italian side starting January 2025 and could make his playing comeback as early as March. The initial fine has also been annulled.
Pogba took to his social media channels to share a photo of his boots alongside an hourglass, indicating that his return to the pitch is merely a matter of time following news reported from England on Friday, October 4.
Therefore, Pogba will be back on the pitch this season with Juventus. He is set to begin training in January, with his official return to competitive action anticipated in March. Additionally, he could also rejoin the French national team from that point onwards. Among the first responses to his post was from Kylian Mbappé, who commented, “Oh, sir.”
Pogba, once one of Europe’s most high-profile players and currently plying his trade at Juventus, received a four-year ban back in February due to a positive test for testosterone, which occurred after his team’s match against Udinese on August 20, 2023, in the opening round of the Italian league.
Despite not having played a single minute in that Serie A clash, Pogba tested positive after undergoing a random doping control post-match. The Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal handed down a harsh punishment that nearly sidelined the 31-year-old Frenchman from professional football until 2027 (as the infraction occurred in 2023).
However, everything changed on Friday thanks to CAS, which has reduced the sentence to a mere 18 months. Consequently, Pogba will once again feel like a professional player, and football fans will be able to enjoy the Frenchman’s talent this very season when titles are on the line.
