Paul Pogba Eyes Return to Soccer After Doping Ban: ‘I’m Not a Cheater’
Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder, is set to return to soccer after his doping ban was reduced from four years to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Pogba tested positive for DHEA, a banned substance that raises testosterone levels, in August 2023 during a match against Udinese. He was initially suspended by Italy’s National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO Italia) but appealed the decision, arguing that his ingestion of the substance was unintentional.
Pogba is eager to resume his career and has expressed his desire to return to Juventus. He has been training hard on his own and is ready to prove himself after a difficult year away from the pitch. Despite the challenges, Pogba remains committed to his sport and has stated that he is willing to give up money to play for Juventus again.
“I am ready to even give up money so that I can still play for Juve,” Pogba said in an interview with Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. “I want to return. I don’t have to talk. What I do on the pitch will do my talking and then Thiago Motta will judge with his own eyes, based on what he sees.”
Pogba is expected to return to training in January 2025 and can return to match action in March 2025. His primary goal is to regain his fitness and rejoin his Juventus teammates, with the ultimate aim of playing for the French national team, Les Bleus, once again.
