Paul Pogba will no longer wear the Juventus Turin jersey: the most successful club in Italian football announced on Friday the termination at the end of November of the contract of the 2018 world champion, suspended for doping until March 2025.
Juve did not make any feelings with the French international who nevertheless said he was ready to lower his enormous salary to continue his career as a bianconero. “Juventus Turin and Paul Pogba announce that they have agreed to terminate his contract from November 30, 2024”indicated the “Old Lady” in a brief press release which she concluded “wishing Paul the best for his professional future”.
Without knowing it at the time, Pogba said goodbye to the fans from a box at the Allianz Stadium on October 6 during the Serie A match between Juve and Cagliari. The French midfielder, all smiles, had greeted the supporters at length before kick-off during one of his rare appearances in the Juve stadium since his positive test announced in September 2023. Two days earlier, the Court Sports Arbitration Authority (CAS) had reduced his suspension from four years to eighteen months.
The CAS, contacted by Pogba, accepted his explanation on the presence of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in his body (“This was not intentional and was the result of mistakenly taking a dietary supplement prescribed by a doctor in Florida.”), while recognizing its responsibility (“Mr Pogba is not exonerated from any fault, as a professional player, he should have been more vigilant”). At the end of this final stage of the procedure, the management of Juve therefore decided to part ways with the player who had brought them more than 100 million euros when they sold him to Manchester United in 2016 after four seasons and she returned in 2022 after six seasons in the Premier League.
12 matches with Juve since his return
The Piedmontese club, whose losses reached 200 million euros in 2023-24, got rid of a player who cost them dearly (8 million euros per season and two million signing bonus) for a starving return (12 matches, 213 minutes of play, zero goals) and a singularly tarnished image. It is the epilogue of a second catastrophic experience with the “Old Lady”, between serious injuries, a resounding case of extortion and doping. Great architect of the world title won by the Blues in Russia in 2018 and global football star, Pogba experienced a nightmarish 2022-23 season due to an injury to the meniscus in his right knee which limited him to ten appearances in the jersey bianconero and deprived him of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“La Pioche” was also the victim of an incredible case of extortion by an organized gang, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, were referred to the Paris Criminal Court in September. While he finally seemed to be rid of his physical problems and was regaining playing time, Pogba fell from a height in September 2023 when the Italian Anti-Doping Agency (Nado) announced that he had been the subject of a doping control. positive on the sidelines of the first day of the season. He then saw his salary reduced to the minimum of €2,000 provided for by the collective agreement, no longer had access to Juventus infrastructure, notably the Continassa training center, and his support was rare. But he continued to train and always remained hopeful.
Four months to bounce back
By March 11, 2025, Pogba, 31, can write a new chapter by finding a club, possibly in Saudi Arabia or in the North American Championship (MLS). He can also hope for a return to Blue where Didier Deschamps was one of the few to publicly support him over the last twelve months. “There is this light that comes on again”the coach rejoiced last month, about an important player on the field (91 caps, eleven goals) and off it.
The 31-year-old, who was linked to the club until June 2026, sent a message of thanks to the fans and the club on his Instagram account. “You will be in my heart, forever”declared Paul Pogba, who was with the club from 2012 to 2016, and returned in 2022.
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The former Manchester United player will therefore be free from any contract and therefore to commit to a new club, but will still have to be patient before returning to the field.
