Paul Pogba, 31, and Juventus have ended their relationship.
‘The club has mutually agreed with Paul Pogba to terminate his contract on the 30th of this month,’ Juventus announced on the club’s official website on Friday.
Pogba’s original contract with Juventus was until June 2025, but he left the club half a year early. He wanted to continue his career at Juventus.
‘Pogba wants to stay at Juventus and is ready to take a pay cut,’ Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reported, but Juventus had other ideas. Injuries and doping issues made it difficult for them to continue with him.
Pogba was once regarded as a top prospect, and the former Manchester United player became a household name after joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2012. In 2016, he returned to United from Juventus for a then world-record transfer fee, but has been criticised for his underwhelming performances and frequent injuries at United.
When his contract expired in June 2022, he became a free agent and returned to Juventus, but injuries limited him to just four appearances in the 2022-2023 season, all as a substitute, totalling just 108 minutes.
The final straw was the doping issue.
Pogba failed a doping test in August last year. The match in question was against Udinese in the 2023-2024 season, which Juventus won 3-0. Pogba didn’t play in the match and was benched, but he was subject to a random post-match drug test. The test revealed a problem with his testosterone levels.
Testosterone is a male hormone that increases endurance in athletes and is one of the most common banned substances. 파워볼사이트 A spokesperson for NADO explained that Pogba’s sample contravened anti-doping rules because it contained ‘non-resistant testosterone metabolites,’ which are banned substances.
Pogba strongly insisted at the time that it was unintentional, but there was no reversal: he insisted he never intended to break the rules and requested a second analysis of the positive test, which also came back positive. Both samples showed dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which stimulates the production of testosterone and other hormones.
It seems that an unsuspecting supplement may have been the culprit. ‘A source told ESPN that Pogba was prescribed the food supplement by one of his friends who is a doctor in Miami, USA. The particular supplement is available in the US, but not in Italy,’ said ESPN.
Pogba’s camp has dropped the appeal.
‘Pogba has decided not to enter into a plea bargain with the anti-doping organisation,’ said Football Italia. The case will be tried by the anti-doping court as it is.’
‘The Anti-Doping Commission has imposed a provisional suspension on Pogba. Juventus is paying Pogba the minimum guaranteed amount of 3 million won as a result of this outcome.’ Pogba’s four-year ban was confirmed and he seemed to retire.
Recently, things have changed. According to the Daily Mail, Pogba has had his four-year drug ban reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
‘Pogba is now a free agent,’ said Fabrizio Romano, a journalist familiar with the European transfer market. His contract with Juventus has been terminated by mutual consent. He will be eligible to play from March next year.’
The early termination of his contract has focused attention on Pogba’s next move. Last month, FC Seoul’s ‘signature star’ Lingard made headlines when he mentioned Pogba as a player he would like to bring to the K League at the K League 1 2024 Final Round media day. The two players have played together at Man United.