After his doping ban, Paul Pogba is back in professional soccer. The French midfielder has found a new employer in his home country and signed with AS Monaco.
In August 2023, Paul Pogba had to undergo a doping test after Juventus Turin’s Serie A match against Udinese Calcio (3-0), even though he had spent the entire 90 minutes on the bench. The test came back positive, with both the A and B samples showing excessive testosterone levels. After two more appearances, Pogba’s time at Juventus was finally over, and he was left facing the ruins of his professional career.
A preliminary ban was followed by a final ban in early February 2024: the Italian sports court suspended the Frenchman for four years, including the time he had already served. However, Pogba did not accept this decision and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – and was successful. As no intent could be proven, the CAS drastically reduced the penalty to 18 months.
A new start in Monaco – the Champions League beckons
In the meantime, the now 32-year-old kept himself fit and in the winter there was talk of a transfer to Olympique Marseille, but it did not materialize. However, this Saturday the time had come: Pogba signed a two-year contract with AS Monaco until June 30, 2027.
As Monaco finished last season’s Ligue 1 campaign in third place, the high-profile new signing will have the opportunity to play in the Champions League again. Pogba has made 57 appearances in the competition during his career to date.
The big question, of course, is whether the 2018 World Cup winner can build on his past performances in the principality. In addition to 91 international appearances, the technically gifted right-footed player has played a total of 423 competitive games for Manchester United and Juventus Turin, scoring 73 goals and setting up 90 more.
