ROME, OCT 17 – Paul Pogba has confirmed his desire to return to action with Juventus, despite having to take a pay cut, after being suspended for a doping case. The statement was made by the French World Cup winner in a joint interview La Gazzetta dello Sportyesterday.
“I am willing to give up money as long as I can play with Juventus again. I want to come back with this club,” said Pogba.
“The reality is, I am a Juventus player and I am preparing to play for Juve,” he added.
Pogba’s contract with the Italian giants will expire in June 2026 and is currently worth €8 million a year.
Throughout his ongoing suspension, the midfielder has only received the minimum wage set out in Serie A’s collective agreement, which is just over €2,000 a month.
Although Pogba’s ban has been reduced, Italian media are reporting that Juventus still want to terminate his contract.
Pogba, who was with Manchester United, said, “I will come back as a new, smarter, stronger Pogba. I just want to play football.”
Pogba’s four-year ban for doping was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last October. He is expected to return to action on March 11 next year, just four days before his 32nd birthday.
Pogba tested positive for testosterone in August 2023 after a match between Juventus and Udinese in Italy. He was provisionally suspended in September 2023 before being handed a four-year ban by Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal in February 2024.
Pogba’s representative explained that the testosterone was caused by a dietary supplement given by a doctor in the United States. – AFP
