Pogba reacts to reduced drug ban

French footballer Paul Pogba took to social media with a quiet message in response to the recent decision that cut his doping ban from four years to 18 months.

The Juventus star on Friday posted a wordless image on his X, showcasing his feet clad in personalised football boots, adorned with his initials, the French flag, and two stars signifying France’s World Cup victories.

The image seemingly speaks volumes as Pogba digests the latest turn in a career that has been marred by both injury and controversy.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Friday that Pogba’s suspension had been reduced to 18 months, effective from September 11, 2023. This reduction in sentence follows his original four-year ban handed down by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February.

Pogba, who will now be eligible to return to competitive football on March 11, 2025, just four days before his 32nd birthday, has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal.

“I can confirm the decision: an 18-month suspension with effect from 11 September 2023. The reasons for the decision will follow later,” a CAS spokesperson told AFP, confirming the reduction in Pogba’s punishment.

Pogba’s troubles began in August 2023, after a routine test following a Juventus-Udinese match revealed elevated levels of testosterone. The French midfielder was provisionally suspended the following month, and the four-year ban was imposed in February.

His representatives quickly came to his defence, stating that the banned substance came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor in the United States, which Pogba had unknowingly consumed.

In an emotional post shared shortly after the ban was announced, Pogba expressed his deep sorrow.

“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he wrote.

He insisted that he had “never knowingly or deliberately” taken any banned substances.

Pogba was a key figure in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, he also collected four Serie A titles during his first spell at Juventus.