New Delhi: Paul Pogba’s doping suspension has been reduced to 18 months, having initially been sentenced to a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Case director Matthieu Reeb has said that the initial suspension has been, with the starting date of the sentence being September 11th, 2023.
The French midfielder had been suspended by the Italian anti-doping organization Nado Italia back in September 2023, having tested positive for DHEA. The DHEA raises the levels of testosterone, which in turn increases endurance levels and hence has been a banned substance.
The 31-year-old’s contract with Juventus will expire in June 2026. Pogba has constantly denied taking any illegal substance and said in February that he would be appealing his case in front of CAS. The doping test was performed on the former Manchester United player after Juventus won their opening Serie A game at Udinese in August 2023.
Pogba himself has issued a statement and expressed his relief at the “nightmare being over.” He maintained that he had never breached any of the doping codes on purpose and that he always played with integrity. He further mentioned that he would tell his side of the story once the embargo is lifted while talking on social media.
🗣️ Paul Pogba on his ban being reduced from 4-years to 18-months… pic.twitter.com/Dfm0AJ75GQ
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) October 4, 2024
Talking about the “distressing period”, Pogba has said everything in his career had been put on hold for this. The Juventus midfielder has said that he had taken a nutritional supplement that had been prescribed by his doctor and didn’t in any way enhance the performance of a male athlete.
The official reports of the test said that prohibited substances, namely “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites,” appeared in Pogba’s system. The tests indicated that these materials were externally added. The reduction in his sentence means that he will be able to take part in matches from March 2025 and resume training two months before in January.
Juventus star Paul Pogba had been banned for four years after being found guilty of doping. His sentence has now been shortened to 18 months. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
