Juventus May Terminate Paul Pogba’s Contract After His Doping Ban

Juventus are reportedly re-assessing the future of Paul Pogba at the club. The French midfielder has been out of action since August 2023 when he was handed a ban after testing positive for DHEA. He arrived at Juventus in 2022 after spending six seasons with Manchester United. Italy’s anti-doping court had banned Pogba for a maximum of four years which meant he wouldn’t be able to play for Juventus before his contract expiry in 2026. Despite his suspension, the Serie A giants did not immediately end their relationship with the footballer.

Now, a report by Gazzetta claimed that Juventus are thinking about terminating Pogba’s contract. The Frenchman has already appealed the decision of his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The Italian club might have been waiting for the final verdict before making their decision.

Pogba remains confident that his appeal will be successfully considered and he will be allowed to resume his professional career anytime soon. If the CAS decides to uphold the ban, Juventus will move ahead with the process of ending their agreement with the 31-year-old midfielder.

If Paul Pogba gets the clean chit, there will still be a lot of complications around his return. The World Cup winner reportedly doesn’t fall in the plans of Juventus coach Thiago Motta. So even if he returns to the fold, the team management may face a challenge in fitting him into the squad. Juventus earlier stated that they didn’t end the contract with Pogba “out of respect”.

Paul Pogba was initially suspended in September last year after being found positive for testosterone metabolites. Following the initial ban, Pogba asked for a counter-analysis and the result was again positive. In December, anti-doping prosecutors requested a maximum four-year ban for failing the test which is the standard length under the World Anti-Doping Code.

After failing the drug test, Pogba also had to take a pay cut that reduced his monthly wages to €2000. As per his Juventus contract, Pogba was slated to earn €10 million per year. As per the regulations for suspended players, Juventus could pay Pogba the minimum wage prescribed in the Collective Agreement with the Italian Association. His current annual salary at Juventus stands at €42,177.