Former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has spoken out after receiving a four-year ban for doping, insisting in a rare interview that his career is not over. Pogba attended France’s Euro 2024 victory over Belgium and shared his thoughts on the suspension and his future in football.
Will Paul Pogba retire from football?
While awaiting a date for his CAS hearing, Pogba faces the possibility of not returning to football until August 2027, when he will be 34 years old if the four-year ban is upheld. Despite this, in an interview with Sky Sport Italy, the former Manchester United star dismissed any suggestions of retirement. “If you don’t see a video where I say that I am stopping with football, it’s because I am still a football player,” Pogba stated. “I am still here, still positive, I have an opportunity to fight what in my view is an injustice.”
Why did Paul Pogba not play in Euro 2024?
Pogba tested positive for DHEA, a banned substance that increases testosterone levels, in August of last year. After his B sample also tested positive, he was handed a lengthy suspension earlier this year. The midfielder asserts that he did not knowingly consume the prohibited substance and is currently appealing the decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), hoping to have his ban reduced to two years. However, Pogba who has been an integral part of the team was left out of France’s Euro 2024 squad.
Pogba emphasized his determination to return to the sport, expressing his optimism for the future. “We’ll see, things will go better. I don’t know if you saw the whole interview, but they only put up a part of it where I hadn’t even finished speaking yet. Pogba is not finished, Pogba is here, and until you see me say I’m finished, don’t worry. I still feel like a player, I am training and in these moments I must only be positive.”
Currently unable to play or train with Juventus due to the ban, Pogba is focusing on his family and staying motivated. “I am spending a lot of time with my family, seeing my kids grow up. I am not doing what I love, which is football, but I am really eager to get back. So eager, I feel like a kid who wants to be a professional.”
Paul Pogba celebrates with teammates after France’s win
The interview took place in Dusseldorf after Pogba was invited by the French FA and manager Didier Deschamps to attend France’s 1-0 win over Belgium in the last 16 of Euro 2024. After the game, Pogba visited the dressing room and celebrated the victory with the team, having been an integral part of France’s 2018 World Cup win and their journey to the Euro 2016 final.
Despite his current situation, Pogba revealed that he has not had recent communication with Juventus. “The latest news is I’m still a Juve player, I have the contract but I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to the director and coach … there’s silence,” he said. “I think they’re waiting for the outcome of the appeal, but you have to ask them.”
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