November 18 – Paul Pogba’s Juventus career is over after the Serie A club announced that the former French international midfielder’s contract had been terminated even though his doping ban was cut to 18 months on appeal.
Once the most expensive player in history, Pogba will be able to return to competitive football in March after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month reduced an initial four-year suspension handed down by the Italian anti-doping authority NADO
But Juventus have decided to cut ties with the 31-year-old, whose return to Turin from Manchester United was hampered by a string of problems on and off the pitch.
In a statement, Juve said that they and Pogba, who tested positive for testosterone in September 2023, “have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of 30 November, 2024”. His contract had been due to expire in 2026.
Pogba said in October that he was “willing to give up money to be able to play again with Juve”, an appeal which fell on deaf ears.
“My time at Juventus has come to an end. It has been a privilege to wear the Bianconeri shirt and share so many special moments together,” he said. “I look forward to the next chapter of my career and to getting back on the pitch with my next club.”
A World Cup winner with France in 2018, Pogba won four Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016 with Juve. When he joined Manchester United for a fee of €105 million in 2016, he was the most expensive player ever.
He rejoined Juve in the summer of 2022 but during the 2022-23 season made just 10 appearances, mainly due to a knee injury that also ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar. He last played for Juve at Empoli in September last year, not long before he was provisionally suspended for testing positive.
Pogba was also the victim of a case of organised extortion, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, have been ordered to stand trial.
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