Paul Pogba breaks silence after drugs ban appeal decision: 'Finally the nightmare is over'
The World Cup winner, now 31, has seen his four-year ban for a failed drugs test reduced to 18 months after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport
by Alex Richards · The MirrorPaul Pogba insisted "the nightmare is over" after seeing his four-year drugs ban reduced.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport slashed his ban on Friday, taking it down to 18 months, a decison which means the former Manchester United star could return to action with club side Juventus in March 2025. He will be able to return to training in January.
The World Cup winner, now 31, had been looking at the end of his career had the CAS upheld the four-year suspension that was dished out in February. Pogba had been provisionally suspended last September after failing a drugs test. He had tested positive for DHEA following Juventus' meeting with Udinese last August.
Pogba and his camp have always maintained that the taking of any prohibited substance was never intentional. His lawyers had rejected a plea deal after claiming he had unwittingly ingested the drug via a supplement, thus causing the positive test.
Now, CAS director general Matthieu Reeb has confirmed that the ban has been reduced to 18 months.
And the Frenchman feels vindicated by his decision not to take a deal, declaring that he "cannot wait" to get back to playing again.
In a statement, Pogba said: "Finally the nightmare is over.
"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.
"This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.
"Thank you again for all the love and support. I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch."
Pogba previously said he would "never knowingly or deliberately" dope and believed the verdict was "incorrect". Had the previous ban stood, he wouldn't have been able to return to action until 2027.
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