The French midfielder will remain sidelined for the remainder of his ban.

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Pogba gets off with a large part of the sanction: 4 years to 18 months

Juventus star Paul Pogba has received good news on Monday: the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has decided to drastically reduce his doping sanction from four years to 18 months. The court found that the positive test for testosterone, which was detected in a test after a match against Udinese in August 2023, was not the result of an intentional action on the part of the player.

Pogba's case has been in the eye of the storm since the Italian anti-doping agency imposed the four-year ban on him in September last year. The French star has always maintained that the positive result was a mistake, caused by taking a supplement prescribed by a doctor in the United States, without knowing the exact components of the product.

Ruling changes the outlook for Pogba

The CAS, after reviewing all the evidence and arguments presented by the player's defence, decided to partially uphold Pogba's appeal. Although the court did not absolve the player of all responsibility, it did accept that there was no conscious intention to cheat. In addition to reducing the sanction to 18 months, the fine of 5,000 euros that initially accompanied the punishment has also been annulled.

The supplement that led to the positive test was prescribed by a doctor in Florida who, according to Pogba's defence, has extensive experience in treating elite athletes. This detail was key to the CAS decision, which found that the player did not take the substance deliberately. However, the court also noted that, as a professional, Pogba should have been more careful and paid more attention to the products he consumed.

Pogba's defence not entirely convincing

Although Pogba was seeking an even lesser sanction of just 12 months, arguing that his error was unintentional, CAS ruled that he could not entirely escape blame. The player acknowledged that there was some fault on his part, but hoped the tribunal would remove any hint of negligence. In the end, CAS concluded that the player should bear some responsibility, since as a top professional, he is obliged to know the rules and to be extremely careful with any substances he ingests.

The testosterone positive that set alarm bells ringing occurred after the first match of the 2023-2024 Serie A season, a match in which Juventus took on Udinese. Soon after, Italy's anti-doping agency acted swiftly, imposing a sanction that initially appeared to jeopardise Pogba's career.

A road full of appeals

Pogba's first appeal to the Italian Anti-Doping Court was unsuccessful, as the decision was upheld in February this year by the Italian Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office. However, Pogba did not give up and took his case all the way to CAS, which has finally reduced the sanction, leaving the player with the possibility of returning to the pitch sooner than expected.

The news of the reduced sanction had already been announced by Pogba himself on his social media a few days ago, generating a great deal of excitement among fans. Now, with the CAS decision confirmed, the player can start planning his return, although he will still have to wait to complete the 18-month punishment.

With the reduced sanction, Pogba's situation has improved considerably, but he still has some way to go before he can return to competition. The French midfielder will remain sidelined for the remainder of his ban, but the ruling comes as a relief for both the player and Juventus, who had been left reeling in the wake of the scandal.

Conclusion

The outcome of the Pogba case leaves a clear lesson: even top players must be extremely cautious with any supplements or drugs they take, as the consequences can be devastating to their careers. Although Pogba has had his sanction reduced, the process has been a reminder of how fragile the line between negligence and offence can be in elite sport.

Now, what remains to be seen is how this enforced stoppage will affect Pogba's performance when he finally returns to play. In the meantime, Juventus will have to deal with his absence, albeit with the hope of having their star player back sooner rather than later.