After a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Paul Pogba has had his four-year ban from football reduced to 18 months.
The Juventus midfielder described the situation as a “nightmare” that is finally “over”. He will be allowed to return to club training in the New Year. Pogba will be eligible to play competitive matches starting in March 2025 as the ban is backdated to 11 September 2023.
CAS releases statement on Pogba appeal
On Monday, the CAS released a detailed statement regarding its decision:
“The CAS Panel based its decision on the evidence and legal arguments made that Mr. Pogba’s ingestion of DHEA, the substance for which he tested positive, was not intentional and was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed by a medical doctor in Florida.”
Pogba was suspended by Italy’s national doping tribunal (NADO) in February 2023 after a positive test for a testosterone-boosting substance banned by WADA. Pogba argued that he had unknowingly ingested the substance at the recommendation of his doctor. The CAS acknowledged this but noted that Pogba should have exercised greater caution.
“Mr. Pogba’s case was supported by several experts. Much of the evidence provided by Mr. Pogba was unopposed [by NADO]. The CAS Panel determined, however, that Mr. Pogba was not without fault and that, as a professional football player, he should have paid greater care in the circumstances.”
The Juventus dilemma
Since February 2023, Paul Pogba has been earning Italy’s statutory wage of around €2,000 a month. Soon, his salary will revert to his annual salary of €10m a year. This creates a financial dilemma for Juventus, as he won’t be eligible to play until March 2025 despite being one of the club’s highest earners. The sharp increase in wages hurts Juventus given it invested heavily in the midfield.
Juventus brought in Douglas Luiz, Khephren Thuram, and Teun Koopmeiners during the…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/paul-pogba-ban-reduced-could-ligue-1-be-next-step/
Author : Abdullah Mamaniyat
Publish date : 2024-10-07 18:01:39
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