Paul Pogba, sanctioned by the Italian anti-doping agency after testing positive for testosterone during the summer of 2023, had his suspension reduced from four years to eighteen months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday, October 4. A decision that made the 1998 world champion happy. Shortly after hearing the news, the 31-year-old French midfielder published a close-up photo of his cleats on social media, with the only comment being an hourglass indicating that I was already counting. the days that separate him from his return to the field.
On Saturday, when asked to comment on the CAS decision, Thiago Motta, coach of Juventus Turin, the club with which Paul Pogba still has a contract, was much less enthusiastic.
“The club will evaluate the situation and, if necessary, make a decision, Thiago Motta recently commented. As far as I’m concerned, I think Paul Pogba was a great player, but he hasn’t played for a long time. Me, I’m focused on our game. [dimanche contre Cagliari]everything else doesn’t mean much to me. »
Last appearance September 2023
According to the often well-informed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Turin management would like to terminate Paul Pogba’s contract. The French international, winner of eight national titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2016 and a Champions League finalist in 2015, is linked to the club until 2026. “ La Pioche”, who returned to Turin in 2022 after a bad spell at Manchester United (2016-2022), made his last appearance on a football field on September 3, 2023, during an Italian championship match against Empoli ( 2-0 victory). ).
Before his suspension, Paul Pogba had only played twelve games in all competitions, due to a knee injury that also deprived him of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In his absence, Juventus finished third in Serie A last season. Led by former Parisian midfielder Thiago Motta since this summer, the Bianconeri currently occupy second place in the Italian championship thanks to a midfield reinforced by the summer arrivals of Frenchman Khéphren Thuram, Dutchman Teun Koopmeiners and Brazilian Douglas Luiz.
Will Paul Pogba be able to regain a level of fitness in line with the demands of professional football between now and March 2025, when he will once again be authorized to play in an official match? Now another question is added to this question: under the colors of which club can such a return be foreseen?
