After a shortened doping lock, Paul Pogba is in front of the comeback. France’s world champion of 2018 should agree with AS Monaco.
Paul Pogba recently had many pictures of the “Red Carpet”. A few weeks ago at the Film Festival in Cannes, together with his wife Zulay and black tuxedo. In contrast, Pogba had not appeared in his usual work clothing, football dress. More precisely, for almost two years when he was closed because of a doping finding.
Now Pogba is facing a comeback, according to matching media reports from France, the 32-year-old is said to have agreed on a two-year contract with AS Monaco. In an interview with the TV station “TF1”, Pogba confirmed that he was with an association “In conversation” But without saying which club it is. The interest from Monaco had already been documented.
Pogba fell deep – for four years of lock Doping offense
The fact that Pogba would return to professional football would be quite insecure. France’s ex-international, part of the 2018 World Champion Equipe, was sentenced to a lock of four years by the Italian anti-doping dish in February 2024. Pogba was in August 2023 after a series A game of his then club Juventus against Udinese Calcio The result had confirmed the result positively for an increased testosterone value.
The career of the midfield star, who was almost 31 years old at the time of the judgment, threatened to be over due to the long four-year lock. Pogba had already missed almost a complete season before his testosterone finding due to a lengthy knee injury and the World Cup in Qatar. His then club Juventus initially had Pogba’s salary, supposedly eight million euros net, frozen and, after the doping lock came into force, resolved the Verstfag, which was actually running until 2026.
The “Fall Pogba” continued the rather stately list of records of doping offices in Italian professional football. Juventus in particular was targeted by the doping investigators. Juve star Edgar Davids was closed in 2001 for taking an anabolic steroid for four months. In 2004, the club leadership and medical department of the Turiners had to answer in court, and suspicious fluctuations in the hematocrit levels are said to have been determined for years, an indication of epo-doping.
In the recent past, Jose Luis Palomino, under contract with Atalanta Bergamo, was tested positively for the Anabolica preparation Clostebol and was blocked for three months in autumn 2022.
Pogba lock shortened by CAS – since March 2025 again eligible
Pogba had always denied that he had used forbidden funds to increase performance. He had only taken dietary supplements, on the package insert of which was pointed out to performance -promoting substances. Pogba appealed to the International Sports Court of CAS, and was successful: the CAS reduced the lock to 18 months, accordingly Pogba was entitled to play again since March 2025.
Paul Pogba 2023 in the jersey of Juventus Turin
Monaco, Coach Adi Hütter’s club, now apparently gives him another chance. Pogba, who was considered one of the best central midfielder in the world for a while, returns to the big stage, the Monegassen will play in the Champions League in the coming season.
He is “Mentally and physically ready” For his comeback, Pogba said when he appeared on French television. The doping lock was a “shock”, nobody listened to him that he had to leave Italy. Pogba did not speak of a possible misconduct, instead he expressed criticism of his former club Juventus: “I asked her for advice on a fitness coach when I was still part of the team. But there was no support, it met me. I didn’t understand why.” Maybe there will soon be a reunion with his old club, in the premier class.