October 04, (THEWILL) – French midfielder, Paul Pogba, has received a reduction in his doping suspension from four years to 18 months, following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday.
The 31-year-old Juventus player, who tested positive for DHEA during a routine examination in August 2023, will now serve a shortened ban beginning from September 11, 2023. DHEA, a substance known to increase testosterone levels, was detected in samples taken after Juventus’s opening Serie A match against Udinese.
CAS director general Matthieu Reeb confirmed the modified suspension duration to Reuters. The initial four-year ban, imposed by Italy’s national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia), faced opposition from Pogba, who maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings and filed an appeal in February 2024.
The tribunal’s findings indicated the presence of prohibited “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” in the player’s system. Their analysis determined these results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds,” confirming external introduction of the substances.
Pogba, who remains under contract with Juventus until June 2026, will be eligible to return to professional football in March 2025. This reduction significantly alters the trajectory of his career, potentially allowing him to resume playing at the highest level while still in his early thirties.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
