Paul Pogba can return to football this season after drugs ban drastically cut

France star Paul Pogba will be able to return to playing football in early 2025 after seeing his four-year drugs ban reduced on appeal.

"The suspension is now 18 months, starting Sept. 11, 2023," Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) director general Matthieu Reeb told Reuters on Friday.

A statement from Pogba read: “Finally the nightmare is over. Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

“I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

“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. Thank you again for all the love and support. I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch.”

Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September 2023 after testing positive for DHEA - a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone.

The 31-year-old, who has a contract with Juventus until June 2026, denied any wrongdoing and said in February this year confirmed would appeal to CAS.

The doping test was performed after Juve's 3-0 season-opening victory in Serie A at Udinese on Aug. 20, 2023.

The tribunal said it had detected prohibited "non-endogenous testosterone metabolites", adding that the results were "consistent with the exogenous (external) origin of the target compounds".

Additional reporting by Reuters.