French midfielder Paul Pogba, currently contracted with Juventus until 2026, has hinted at a potential move away from the Italian club, expressing a desire to explore playing in a new league. This revelation follows the reduction of his doping ban from four years to 18 months, allowing him to return to competitive football in March 2024, just ahead of his 32nd birthday.
In an interview with L’Equipe at Paris’ Parc des Princes, Pogba expressed his eagerness to return to the sport he loves, likening football to a “strawberry cake that was taken away” from him. He added that the 18-month ban had been a difficult experience but was optimistic about resuming his career.
Pogba had been suspended after testing positive for testosterone following a Juventus vs. Udinese match in August 2023. Initially facing a four-year ban handed down by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February 2024, the punishment was reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in October. Pogba’s legal team argued that the positive test resulted from a food supplement prescribed by a U.S. doctor.
Now looking ahead to his comeback, Pogba is keeping his options open. When asked about the possibility of playing in France’s Ligue 1, a league he has never played in at a senior level, Pogba responded with a tantalizing, “Why not?”
The World Cup-winning midfielder, who helped France secure the 2018 title in Russia, enjoyed great success during his first stint at Juventus, winning four Serie A titles. However, his return to the club in 2022 after leaving Manchester United has been plagued by injuries and personal challenges, including being a victim of an alleged extortion attempt, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, were ordered to stand trial recently.
With his ban nearing its end and his future uncertain, Pogba appears motivated to make the most of the next phase of his career, whether at Juventus or in a new league.
