Paul Pogba's Juventus career is over after the Serie A club announced on Friday that the French midfielder's contract had been terminated even though his doping ban was reduced to 18 months on appeal.
Paul Pogba's Juventus career is over after the Serie A club announced on Friday that the French midfielder's contract had been terminated even though his doping ban was reduced to 18 months on appeal. Pogba will be able to return to competitive football in March after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned an initial four-year ban by Italy's anti-doping authority NADO. But Juventus has decided to cut ties with the 31-year-old, whose return to Turin from Manchester United in 2022 has been marred by a series of problems on and off the pitch.
In a statement, Juve said that she and Pogba "have reached a mutual agreement to terminate their contract with effect from November 30, 2024." His contract expires in 2026.
"You have given me so much, more than I can ever say, and I will always carry with me the love you showed me," Pogba told Juve fans on social media.
"You will always be in my heart. Good luck."
Pogba said in October that he was "ready to give up money to play for Juventus again", a call that fell on deaf ears at the "Old Lady" of Italian football.
Juve's announcement comes as no surprise as coach Thiago Motta and sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has referred to Pogba several times before, saying "he was a great player". Pogba, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, started just one game after joining Juventus - with whom he won four Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016 - in the summer of 2022.
He last played for Juventus at Empoli in September last year, shortly before being suspended for testing positive for testosterone.
Juventus cancels Paul Pogba contract despite doping ban eased
The test came after Juve's first Serie A game of the season a month ago, a 3-0 win over Udinese, in which he did not even play.
He was then banned for four years by NADO in February, a sanction that put his career in jeopardy before CAS reduced his sentence.
CAS accepted Pogba's argument that the failed test "was the result of the wrong taking of a supplement prescribed by a doctor in Florida".
However, CAS did not completely disqualify Pogba because "he was not without fault" and as a professional footballer, "he should have been more careful in the circumstances".
During the 2022-23 season, Pogba made just 10 appearances for Juventus, mainly due to a knee injury, which also ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar, where France lost to Argentina in the final in December 2022. He was also the victim of an extortion case organized by the gang, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, were cited in court.
In Pogba's absence, Juve replaced Massimiliano Allegri with Motta and brought in a host of new players as part of a rebuild.
Juve, who finished third last season without Pogba, spent more than €120m on midfielders Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, and Khephren Thuram during a busy summer in the transfer market.
The team currently sit sixth in Serie A, but is just two points behind league leaders Napoli and will face AC Milan at the San Siro after the international break.
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