Good news for Juventus and fans of French international Paul Pogba; his 4 years drug ban has been reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sports.
The former Manchester United player who tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) at the start of the 2023/24 season, may be able to start training with Juventus in January and could return to play in March.
Pogba, 31, was provisionally suspended in September 2023 after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – a compound that promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone – following Juventus’ game at Udinese on August 20.
If the original four-year ban had stood, Pogba would have been sidelined until March 2027, making a return to the pitch impossible. Under anti-doping rules, 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.
Pogba’s return in March could be a significant boost to Thiago Motta’s side, especially since they may be going for the title at the time. Juventus are currently first in Seria A having played six games, won three and drawn three.
