Holder and decisive on the first goal scored by Juventus against Udinese (2-0), Saturday, in Serie A, Khéphren Thuram took over one of Paul Pogba’s iconic celebrations.
A little more patience for Paul Pogba. With the reduction of his suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, from four years to eighteen months, the 2018 world champion will be able to return to training in January, then competition in March. Possibly with Juventus Turin, since he is still under contract until 2026, or more probably elsewhere since the Old Lady has suggested in recent weeks that she is not counting on her French international (31 years old), the last of whom match dates back to September 3, 2023.
“Our position on Paul is very clear. Paul was a great football player, but he stopped playing for such a long time,” said Cristiano Giuntoli, sporting director of the Turin club, in mid-October. “We were forced to invest in other players during these years (of absence) and our squad is at full strength at the moment.”
“He’s my favorite player”
While waiting to decide on his future, Pogba can count on some internal support. On Saturday, he was entitled to a Nice wink from Khéphren Thuram during Juve’s victory against Florian Thauvin’s Udinese (2-0), in Serie A. After shaking the nets in the first period, even if his goal was finally reclassified as a csc from Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, the former Nice player took over one of Pogba’s flagship celebrations. “Yes, it was the same. I did it because Pogba is my favorite player and I am with him today at Juve,” Thuram told DAZN.
Testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a synthetic hormone, in August 2023, Pogba was suspended for four years on February 29 by the Italian anti-doping court. But at the beginning of October, the CAS reduced this sanction to eighteen months from September 2023, i.e. until next March. He will then be 32 years old.
Senegal
