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Paul Pogba was “sad, shocked and heartbroken” after being hit with a four-year ban from football in February for testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The Frenchman’s reputation was in ruins, his time at the highest level effectively over. “Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” he said.
Pogba insisted, though, that he was not a doper; that he had never “knowingly or deliberately” taken any banned substances. Last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld Pogba’s appeal against the original ruling made by the Italian National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO), explaining that while the midfielder was “not without fault and that, as a professional football player, he should have paid a greater care in the circumstances”, the offence was “not intentional”. Consequently, Pogba’s suspension was reduced to 18 months.
“The nightmare is finally over,” Pogba said in a statement. “Following the CAS decision, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.
“I have always stated that I never knowingly violated the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor that does not affect or improve the performance of male athletes. Although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to thank the judges who listened to my explanations.
“This has been a very painful period in my life, because everything I have worked hard for has been put aside. I thank you again for all the love and support. I can’t wait to get back on the pitch.”
However, while we know when Pogba will be free to return to action – in March of next year – we don’t yet know where. The only certainty is that he’ll never play for Juventus again, with his inevitable release finally confirmed on Friday.
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Getty Images‘Willing to give up money to play for Juve’
For a short while, there was fanciful talk of Pogba resurrecting his career at Juve.
Just two days after confirmation of his reduced suspension, Pogba attended the Serie A clash with Cagliari at the Allianz Stadium and received a warm reception from not only several home fans but also former team-mate and current head of football institutional relations, Giorgio Chiellini.
On a picture posted on Instagram of the pair embracing, Pogba wrote, “Thank you, my friend, for the support.” Chiellini replied, “It was lovely to see you smiling again.”
Pogba also subsequently claimed that he was determined to resurrect his career in Turin – at all costs. “I am willing to give up money to play for Juventus again,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. “I want to come back.”
However, Pogba acknowledged that the onus was on him to prove his worth to both the club and their new coach, Thiago Motta.
“The pitch has to talk, not me,” Pogba said. “Thiago will judge with his own eyes on the basis of what he sees. Gossip is all good but I want to play and, for Juventus and for France, I want to be the best.”
The problem was, though, Juve had no intention of taking him back.
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GettyPogba’s ban saved Juve a fortune
When Pogba rejoined Juventus from Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, he signed a four-year contract worth €8 million (£6.7m/$8.8m) a year, plus a further €2m (£1.7m/$2.2m) in bonuses.
However, even before he failed a drugs test after a Serie A game against Udinese on August 20, 2023, Pogba had done little to justify the highest salary at the club after taxes, as he was restricted to just 12 appearances and 212 minutes of game time because of a succession of injury issues.
Consequently, while Pogba’s suspension robbed Juve of a potential world-class performer, it also saved them a colossal amount of money.
Under the terms of the Collective Agreement with the Italian Association of Footballers, the club was only obliged to pay Pogba just over €2,000 (£1,700/$2,200) a month for the duration of his doping ban.
A lot of the money saved went towards other pay packets, particularly those that arrived during the summer at considerable cost, including midfielders Khephren Thuram, Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners.
Therefore, it wasn’t the least bit surprising to hear Cristiano Giuntoli unequivocally state there was no room for Pogba in Motta’s squad – or, perhaps more accurately, Juve’s wage bill.
“Our position is clear,” the Bianconeri sporting director told DAZN. “Pogba was a great player, he has been out for a long time and last year we were forced to invest in other players. So, now the squad is complete as it is.”
The question now, then, is which teams would be willing to make room for Pogba?
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GettyCould he follow Kante’s lead?
Pogba unquestionably remains one of the most high-profile players on the planet, meaning he won’t be short on offers from clubs – or competitions – looking to boost their brand.
Indeed, Pogba is precisely the kind of player that the Saudi Pro League has successfully targeted over the past couple of years, in that he is a big-name thirty-something plagued by fitness problems, and there have already been rumours that Cristiano Ronaldo has issued an invite to join him at Al-Nassr.
It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take inspiration from former team-mate N’Golo Kante, who appeared to be heading into semi-retirement when he joined Al-Ittihad from Chelsea last year, only to force his way back into the France squad for Euro 2024 after quite clearly benefiting from the less-intensive nature of the Pro League.
Pogba may well believe himself capable of doing likewise ahead of his country’s 2026 World Cup campaign and he did recently take to Instagram to post four pictures of himself in action for France.
“I miss you.. a lot!!” he wrote. “I’m getting ready to come back. I promise.”
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Getty ImagesJoin Giroud and Lloris in LA?
Of course, Pogba might just as easily be swayed as two other former France team-mates, Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, who are now lifting trophies together at MLS outfit Los Angeles FC.
With Inter Miami presently enjoying great sporting and commercial success with their Barcelona reunion in Fort Lauderdale, LAFC might well be tempted to attempt something similar with France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad. Pogba is, after all, branching out into acting; maybe a move to Hollywood would really appeal to him right now.
However, as it stands, it seems far more likely that LAFC will target Pogba’s good friend Antoine Griezmann, who has just retired from international duty and long expressed an interest in playing Stateside.
Still, Pogba is, just like Griezmann, a great fan of the U.S. sports scene, and American pop culture in general, so an MLS move would undeniably appeal to him, particularly with the World Cup looming large on the horizon. He also already has a house in Miami, and while it seems unlikely he’ll link up with Lionel Messi & Co. at Chase Stadium, a move to LA Galaxy or Atlanta United cannot be ruled out right now.
The Galaxy’s recruitment strategy has changed in recent years, but their summer acquisition of Marco Reus showed that they remain interested in signing superstars, while Pogba looks a good fit for the rebuilding job already under way at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Getty‘Some French clubs will be very interested’
There also remains the possibility that a club within one of Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues might consider taking a gamble on Pogba. The mere fact that he’ll likely soon be available on a free transfer means Barcelona will almost inevitably be touted as a possible destination, given the Catalans’ ongoing financial issues.
Meanwhile, former Manchester United, Juventus and France full-back Patrice Evra has been very open about his attempts to convince Marseille sporting director Mehdi Benatia to bring Pogba to the Velodrome, where Mason Greenwood is excelling after being controversially welcomed with open arms by coach Roberto De Zerbi.
Emmanuel Petit is also in no doubt that several Ligue 1 teams will be willing to take a punt on a player with a point to prove.
“I’m pretty sure that some French clubs will be very interested in him,” the World Cup winner told Instant Casino. “But it’s really important that he picks the right club next, and that club will be getting a player with so much desire.
“It’s a huge decision for Paul. It’s probably the most important decision he will ever make in his career. But at 32 years old [in March], what’s the club’s risk in taking him?
“He won’t get a lot of money because of what happened in the last two or three seasons. He will probably get a decent contract, but with a clause saying that if he can reach a certain amount of games, he can get a raise.”
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Getty Images Sport‘I will never give up’
Might a Premier League club be willing to hire on such a low-risk contract? Perhaps, but it’s difficult – if not impossible – to envisage any of the ‘Big Six’ signing a player that proved far more trouble than he was worth at Old Trafford, without doing anything at all to dispel that reputation over the past two years.
Pogba’s been given a shot at salvaging his career here and he sounds as if he’s determined to take it. But he’ll be 32 by the time he’s eligible to return to the field, has a rotten injury record and is renowned for a frustrating lack of focus.
“I want to make [the critics] eat their words,” he told Al Jazeera in September. “They can talk bad about me, but I will never give up. I want to show them I’m not weak.” His task has only increased in difficulty, though, because of such a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Given his incredible talent, every true football fan would like to see Pogba achieve the redemption he’s so desperately seeking, but it’s hard to disagree with Giuntoli’s decision to kick him out of Juventus.
Pogba was a great player once. It seems unlikely that he ever will be again.
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