Paul Pogba, sanctioned by the Italian anti-doping agency after testing positive for testosterone during the summer of 2023, saw his suspension reduced from four years to eighteen months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday October 4. A decision that made the 1998 world champion happy. Shortly after the news broke, the 31-year-old French midfielder published a close-up photo of his crampons on social networks, with the only comment being a hourglass indicating that he was now counting the days separating him from a return to the field.
On Saturday, asked to comment on the CAS decision, Thiago Motta, the coach of Juventus Turin – a club with which Pogba is still under contract – was much less enthusiastic.
“The club will assess the situation and, if necessary, make a decision, freshly commented Motta. As far as I’m concerned, I think Paul Pogba was a great player, but he hasn’t played for a long time. Me, I’m focused on our match [dimanche contre Cagliari]everything else doesn’t mean much to me. »
Last appearance September 2023
According to information from Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, often well informed, Turin management would like to terminate Paul Pogba’s contract. The French international, winner of eight national titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2016 and finalist of the Champions League in 2015, is linked to the club until 2026. « La Pioche”, who returned to Turin in 2022 after an upset spell at Manchester United (2016-2022), made his last appearance on a football field on September 3, 2023, during an Italian championship match against at Empoli (2-0 success).
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Before his suspension, Paul Pogba had only played 12 matches in all competitions, due to a knee injury which also deprived him of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In his absence, Juventus finished third in Serie A last season. Coached by former Parisian midfielder Thiago Motta since this summer, the Bianconeri currently occupy second place in the Italian championship thanks to a midfield reinforced by the summer arrivals of Frenchman Khéphren Thuram, Dutchman Teun Koopmeiners and Brazilian Douglas Luiz .
Will Paul Pogba manage to regain a level of fitness in line with the demands of professional football by March 2025, when he will once again be authorized to play an official match? To this question is now added another: under the colors of which club can such a return be envisaged?
Read also | Paul Pogba, whose doping suspension was reduced from four years to 18 months, can believe in a return
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