Juventus head coach Thiago Motta says the club will “evaluate” the future of Paul Pogba after the midfielder’s four-year ban for failing an anti-doping test was reduced to 18 months on Friday.
The decision after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) means Pogba, 31, will be allowed to resume training with Juventus in January, having already served 13 months of the ban.
Pogba — who last played for Juventus against Empoli on September 3, 2023 — said his “nightmare is over” and he “cannot wait to get back on the pitch” after the reduction of the ban.
It is yet to be confirmed if Pogba will be re-integrated into the Juventus team. His No. 10 shirt was handed to Turkey international Kenan Yildiz in August 2024.
“On Paul Pogba, the club will evaluate what to do,” Juventus head coach Motta said on Saturday.
“As for me, Pogba has been a great player, who hasn’t played for a long time. Now I’m focused on tomorrow’s game and everything else doesn’t matter much to me at this moment.”
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Pogba was suspended in February 2024 after testosterone not produced by the body was detected in a test on August 20, 2023, according to the Italian anti-doping agency (NADO Italia).
The Frenchman believed that the verdict was “incorrect” and stated that he would appeal against it at CAS.
That appeal was successful and Pogba will be allowed to return to first-team training in January 2025 and be eligible to return to competitive action two months later in March when his 18-month ban concludes.
Pogba has made just nine appearances for Juventus since rejoining the club from Manchester United in the summer of 2022, of which just one of those games has been as a starter.
Juventus, who are second in Serie A with 12 points from six matches, play Cagliari on Sunday.
(Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
