Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba was hit with a bombshell after it was confirmed that he had been hit by a four-year ban for doping by Italy’s national anti-doping organization.
This stems from the suspension that he received earlier in the 2023/24 season after testing positive for testosterone – a banned substance that improves an athlete’s endurance levels – after Juventus’ 3-0 win over Udinese in August. This also brings in financial consequences for the Juventus midfielder, who won’t be able to earn the £168,000-a-week salary he agreed upon rejoining the club in 2022.
The Frenchman has vowed to appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) – a higher legal body – to clear his name and reduce his ban. In a statement after the verdict, he wrote –
I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me. As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against. As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Is Paul Pogba Getting Paid By Juventus Amid Doping Scandal?
Pogba has joined a list of many major footballers to get banned for doping in their careers. But his ban period feels significantly higher than some other major ‘crimes’ being committed in terms of doping in Italy in the past.
Diego Maradona, for one, was handed a 15-man ban in 1991 (when playing for Napoli) after testing positive for cocaine abuse at that time.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also tested positive for having the banned substance Nandrolone when playing for Italian club Brescia in 2001 and served a four-month ban – but was cleared of all charges for that in 2009.
Pogba’s significant ban is probably a warning from the Italian anti-doping body to footballers all over the country – especially because of the Italian football scene history with doping scandals.
Pogba won’t be able to play competitive football anywhere unless his ban is overturned and has to wait and sit at home, with his Juventus contract running up until the end of June, 2026 – after he signed a four-year deal following his return.
His agent Rafaela Pimenta, who started taking care of his contracts after the death of Mino Raiola in 2022, had set up a nice financial structure for him at Juventus – as he reportedly earned around £8.56 million a year wage package before his ban.
However, he is not going to get that much of money while not playing for the Italian side during his ban phase.
The Frenchman is reportedly on a ‘minimum wage’ package right now, which sees him receiving a meagre £1714 per month because of certain rules around minimum wages forcing Juventus to do so.
This is a mandatory clause for football clubs in all major European countries with different rules, like Manchester United had to pay Mason Greenwood his entire wages when he was suspended at the club for his domestic assault allegations scandal. The same won’t be applicable to Pogba as he’s legally banned from football.
He is supposed to only receive a rumoured gross yearly wages of £36,164 from Juventus during his doping ban – which is under 0.5% of the salary he agreed upon joining the Bianconeri.
Juventus also might opt to terminate his contract early if they want as rules in Italian football permit clubs to end a player’s deal if they are suspended for over six months. However, the club have not given any indication of wanting to do that yet as they wait to see what the Court of Arbitration of Sport have to say.
Despite the uncertainty around his future, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is working hard to stay fit with personal training and is ready to make a return to top-level football immediately after his ban is rescinded.
His agent Pimenta confirmed this in February, 2024 and said –
Pogba could return to the pitch tomorrow. He is ready for any situation, he is also a champion mentally. He takes a blow, digests it and moves on. He didn’t move forward irresponsibly: he trains knowing that he must be ready Sometimes I tell him: ‘Shall we do something else?’. And he gets angry, he says to me: ‘Rafa! I have to train. You haven’t understood: I have to play, I have to win and I have to finish a journey that I started’. If he were to play tomorrow, he could come on the pitch and play. Obviously, it’s a difficult moment to overcome.
It’s not like Pogba is going to have major problems with receiving such a low-wage package anyhow. He reportedly earned over £75 million in wages in his five years at Manchester United, and has a rumoured net worth of £99 million.
However, the 30-year-old’s football career could be as good as over if he’s forced to serve out the entirety of his four-year ban – which will finish when he’s nearing the age of 35.