In a recent development, Paul Pogba’s doping ban has been significantly reduced after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) accepted his argument that the ingestion of a banned substance was “not intentional.” Initially facing a four-year ban, the French international now has his suspension trimmed down to 18 months, with the CAS noting that he “should have paid greater care in the circumstances.”
Pogba, 31, found himself suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (NADO) back in February, following a drug test that showed elevated testosterone levels—a hormone associated with enhanced endurance. In response to this ruling, Pogba appealed to the CAS, which confirmed the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) but chose to lessen the penalty.
Sources indicate that Pogba could be back in training as early as January and may be eligible to return to competition by March. The former Manchester United star has maintained that his violation “was not intentional and stemmed from mistakenly taking a supplement prescribed by a medical doctor in Florida.”
While Pogba did not formally argue for a finding of no fault or negligence, he sought a reduced ban of 12 months. However, NADO firmly asserted that the initial four-year suspension should be upheld due to “the player’s recklessness being serious.” Ultimately, the CAS panel “partially upheld the appeal,” acknowledging that while there was some fault on Pogba’s part, as a professional athlete, he should have exercised greater caution in this matter.
