Paul Pogba stated that his “nightmare is over” after a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced his four-year doping ban to 18 months.
Sources close to the 31-year-old Juventus midfielder informed the media that he will be able to start training in January 2025 and is eligible to return to play in March.
The France international was suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping body, the Organizzazione Nazionale Anti Doping (NADO) in February after a drugs test revealed elevated levels of testosterone, a hormone that boosts endurance, in his system.
“Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again. 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 offense, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s judges who heard my explanation.”, said Pogba in a statement.
Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba brought his case to the CAS, where he provided testimony in person during a hearing earlier this summer. If the initial ban had remained in place, the 2018 World Cup winner would have been unable to play until 2027, when he would be 34 years old.
