Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba said he is “not a cheater” but accepted responsibility for the failed doping test that led to a ban.
Pogba’s four-year ban was reduced to 18 months earlier this month after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted his ingestion of a banned substance “was not intentional”.
The 31-year-old was suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in February after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone – a hormone that increases endurance – in his system.
“This is not me, I’m not a cheater,” Pogba told Sky Sports.
The reduced ban started from 11 September 2023, with sources close to the Pogba telling BBC Sport that he can resume training in January and will be eligible to play again from March.
Pogba joined Juventus, reuniting with the Italian club in July 2022 after his contract at Manchester United expired.
He featured just 12 times across all competitions after returning to Turin, with injuries restricting his gametime in 2022-23, while he played just twice last season before he was pulled for the positive test.
Pogba remains under contract with Juventus, his deal is set to expire in the summer of 2026, and is looking forward to getting back to training with the rest of the squad.
Pogba has made 423 appearances at club level across two spells with Manchester United and his two stints with Juventus.
