How Did Pogba Ban Reduce From Four-Years To 18 Months?

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French midfielder, Paul Pogba, currently playing for Juventus, has successfully appealed the court ruling on his ban over a doping offense, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) slashing his four-year ban to 18 months.

This verdict will be a huge relief not only to Paul Pogba but also to all his fans as he can now resume professional football much sooner than had been anticipated.

Why Pogba Was Banned For Four Years

Pogba has returned a positive test for the banned substance dehydroepiandrosterone, which has performance-enhancing properties under the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was provisionally suspended in September 2023. The Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal then proceeded in February 2024 to award him a four-year suspension that would have kept him out of the game until 2027.

The Appeal Process

Pogba continued denying all alleged wrongdoing, claiming he never knowingly did anything to ingest a banned substance. The positive test was an accident, according to him, through taking a nutritional supplement prescribed by a doctor, which contained the banned substance. His legal team provided all this as his defense with CAS, showing that the substance made no improvement in any of his games and it’s irrespective of all his career playing with integrity.

CAS Ruling

The CAS reviewed the evidence and cut Pogba’s ban from four years to 18 months. These were said to be grounds that the doping was accidental, and Pogba had been cooperative enough in his investigation. This means Pogba is likely to train after January 2025 and return to competition in March 2025.

Pogba Statement After Ban Being Reduced

“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.”
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.
Paul Pogba’s Statement

Future of Pogba

Pogba will return in March 2025 as the ban has been reduced. Relieving the player himself, his fans, and Juventus, who always looked out for Pogba’s coming, the decision is a shining testimony of what the difficulty of controlling doping can be, and why fair adjudication is so important in sports.

The successful appeal at CAS has eased the punishment handed to him, meaning Pogba can now return to football much quicker than initially planned. As he prepares to head back to Juventus, all eyes will focus on how he will face football again and bounce back from this tough experience for a footballer.