Paul Pogba’s four-year drug ban has been reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
According to Sky Sports, Pogba, who tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in the first game of the 2023/24 season, is free to start playing for Juventus again from March next year.
“Finally the nightmare is over,” said Pogba in a statement. “Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.”
Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) accepted the request of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office to issue a four-year ban last March, which is the standard length of ban under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADA). It meant Pogba would not have returned to football until March 2027.
Pogba added: “I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes
“I play with integrity, and although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation.
“This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold. Thank you again for all the love and support. I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch.”
The €5,000 (£4,179) fine imposed on Pogba has been set aside and CAS will officially announce the ban reduction on Monday.
A four-year anti-doping ban can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove it was not intentional, was the result of contamination, or if they can provide “substantial assistance” to help investigators.
The 31-year-old was suspended as a precaution in September 2023 after testing positive for DHEA – a compound that promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone – following Juventus’ game at Udinese on August 20.
He did not play in the Serie A match but was on the bench. He then made substitute appearances for Juventus against Bologna on August 27 and Empoli on September 3, before his suspension was announced.
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