Paul Pogba’s doping ban was reduced after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted the Juventus midfielder’s argument that his ingestion of a banned substance “was not intentional”.
Cas, who cut the ban from four years to 18 months, added that the France international “should have paid a greater care in the circumstances”.
The 31-year-old was suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in February after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone – a hormone that increases endurance – in his system.
Pogba appealed against the ruling to Cas, who “confirmed the ADRV (anti-doping rule violation) but reduced the sanction” to 18 months, starting from 11 September 2023.
Sources close to Pogba told BBC Sport last week he can resume training in January and will be eligible to play again from March.
The former Manchester United player argued that his offence “was not intentional and was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida”.
Cas said, external Pogba did not “seek a determination of no fault or negligence” but, instead wanted his ban reduced to 12 months, although Nado believed the four-year punishment should have stood because “the player’s recklessness was serious”.
The Cas panel “partially upheld the appeal” but “determined, however, that Mr Pogba was not without fault and that, as a professional football player, he should have paid a greater care in the circumstances.”
The decision can be appealed against to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds.
Pogba was provisionally suspended in September 2023 after being randomly tested following Juventus’ first match of the 2023-24 season on 20 August.
The positive test was confirmed by Nado in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office requested a four-year suspension.
“Finally the nightmare is over,” said Pogba when the reduction of his ban was revealed last week. “I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.
“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.”
