Paul Pogba Responds Emotionally When Questioned About Doping Offence

Paul Pogba, a player for Juventus and formerly for Manchester United, has acknowledged that he failed the drug test that led to his four-year football ban, but he has denied being a "cheater". The 2018 French World Cup winner said to Sky Sports News in an emotional first interview following his penalty that he has "never taken performance-enhancing drugs" and that it was not intentional.

He declared, "I'm a terrible loser, but I'm not a cheater. I like to win fairly." After testing positive for increased levels of the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which can raise testosterone, during the opening game of the 2023–24 season in August, Pogba was given a four-year ban in February.

The Juventus midfielder, who has made 157 Premier League games for the Red Devils and totalled 29 goals and 38 assists, "took responsibility" for the failed test because he "didn't triple-check". He clarified, however, that the suspension "should never be four years" and that it was lowered to 18 months earlier this month following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

It implies that the 31-year-old, who last participated in professional football on September 3, 2023, will be permitted to play the sport as early as March of the following year. During the entire 13-minute interview, he acknowledged that it "came to my mind" that his career was practically finished. Had the initial ban held, he would not have been able to play again until 2027, when he would have been 35.

"You're going to play again, my wife told me, and you're going to get through this," he continued, crediting his family and his belief in God for his mental fortitude. Still, he was grateful for his wife's, kids', and friends' support even though he felt "really down" occasionally. It was a "tough moment," he said, but it has "helped me to grow as a man [and] learn lessons of life."

Pogba's current contract with Juventus, where he has won three Italian Super Cups, two Italian cups, and four Italian crowns, is set to expire in 2026, although the Bianconeri are anticipated to sever ties with the player. The midfield player has been connected to other MLS teams in addition to Marseille.

Even though opposing supporters had previously called him a waste of money, he helped United win two League Cups and the Europa League during their most prosperous post-Fergie era. However, his career there was cut short by a highly publicised falling out with manager Jose Mourinho during his second, six-year stint.