Since Paul Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022 following his ill-fated world-record move to Manchester United six years earlier, things have not exactly run smoothly.
Knee surgery and subsequent abdominal and hamstring injuries restricted the France midfielder to six Serie A appearances in 2022/23 in what was a miserable campaign for the Old Lady in general. Then, at the beginning of last season, Pogba tested positive for a banned substance that led to a four-year suspension from the sport.
The length of the ban, combined with Pogba's age, suggested his elite-level career may have been cut short. However, following a successful appeal, the suspension has been reduced.
That means we could see Pogba back on a pitch as early as March 2025.
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Paul Pogba doping ban reduced on appeal
On February 29, 2024, Pogba was given a four-year ban from football for a doping violation, having returned elevated testosterone levels following a random drugs test after the match against Udinese last August.
The test was conducted by Italy's National Anti-Doping Tribunal (NADO) and Pogba was handed a provisional suspension on account of the adverse finding. He had three days to provide an explanation, along with any counter-evidence and analysis, to NADO.
Pogba released a statement in response to the decision in which he made it clear he would appeal against the ban and fight to clear his name, saying he was confident that "the verdict is incorrect".
"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me," he said. "When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations."
Pogba took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and, according to widespread reports on October 4, he was successful in having his ban reduced.
What is testosterone and why is it a banned substance?
Testosterone is a hormone that occurs naturally in humans and high levels can increase the endurance of athletes.
Drug violations relating to testosterone tend to fall under two categories: an athlete taking synthetic testosterone or using supplements to boost testosterone levels.
If a drugs test finds an individual's testosterone level is above the expected naturally occurring level then it is possible that a doping violation has taken place.
That can often mean a lengthy process of investigations and appeals that Pogba looks likely to embark upon.
When will Paul Pogba be back?
Pogba's original four-year suspension would have meant he could return to playing in August 2027 at the earliest. However, after seeing the ban reduced to 18 months, he will now be able to make his Juventus comeback as early as March 2025.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code advises that any athlete testing positive for a banned substance should be prohibited from competition for a four-year period. WADA operates under the principle of "strict liability", which means the athlete is responsible for any substance found in their body, regardless of how it got there.
However, if the athlete can prove that they did not intentionally take the substance in question, or that it entered their system due to contamination, the ban can be reduced.
There is another recent example of a Serie A footballer having a doping ban overturned.
Atalanta defender Jose Luis Palomino, now playing for Cagliari, tested positive for clostebol metabolites in July 2022 and was sidelined for four months before winning his case in November last year.
An anti-doping tribunal cleared Palomino of wrongdoing and declared the positive had been caused by accidental contamination.
What has Paul Pogba said?
Pogba has not yet spoken about his ban reportedly being reduced, but he always maintained his innocence and stressed his confidence that his name would be cleared.
The player's agent Rafaela Pimenta told RMC Sport in September 2023: "We are awaiting the counter-analysis and we can't have an opinion before the results.
"What is certain is that Paul Pogba never meant to break a rule."
Following confirmation of his four-year ban, Pogba said: "I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping's decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect.
"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.
"When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.
"As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against."
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Paul Pogba stats, career, trophies won
Pogba performed superbly for France as they secured World Cup glory in 2018, scoring in the 4-2 final victory over Croatia.
However, his club career had already begun to waver by this stage, as his performances sharply divided opinions with Manchester United, the club suffering mixed fortunes with Pogba at their heart.
After winning the EFL Cup and Europa League in the 2016/17 season, Pogba's relationship with then-manager Jose Mourinho soured.
A relative upturn under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not yield any further major honours, however, and Pogba limping off 10 minutes into a 4-0 thrashing against Liverpool in April 2022 was a grimly fitting final United appearance.
To a large extent, Pogba's career since leaving Juventus in 2016 has been a story of trying to recapture a phenomenal period of success in Turin.
Between 2012/13 and 2015/16 he claimed four consecutive Serie A titles, starring alongside Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in an imperious midfield quartet as Massimiliano Allegri's side reached the Champions League final in 2015.
They were beaten by the Barcelona of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar but showpiece occasions were generally a time to shine for Juve in that era as they won the Coppa Italia twice and three Supercoppe Italiana.
