Paul Pogba earning 'minimum wage' during drugs ban as suspension is cut
Paul Pogba was won an appeal to have his drugs ban reduce, ensuring he can make a return in early 2025 having feared his career was over but his £200,000-a-week salary has been massively reduced since last year
by Alan Smith · The MirrorPaul Pogba has been earning minimum wage throughout his doping ban, according to reports.
The Juventus midfielder, 31, was handed a four-year suspension after a test was found to have an elevated level of testosterone. But has had the ban reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to 18 months following a successful appeal, ensuring he is free to return to training in January and games in March for the Serie A giants.
But having declared that “finally the nightmare is over” on Friday, it has now emerged that the France star has been making only £1,700 per month since being banned in February of last year. That is according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who say he has been taking home the statutory amount rather than a weekly pay packet worth an estimated £200,000.
Yet that is unlikely to be bothering former Manchester United star Pogba too much now as he prepares for a return to action having initially feared that his career at the top level was over. "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,' he said on Instagram.
"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." Other reports in Italy suggest that Juve might be still looking to part ways with Pogba despite the CAS decision. But the 2018 World Cup winner is unlikely to be short of offers should the Turin club seek a buyer for one of the top earners in the Italian league.
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