Paul Pogba Joins AS Monaco After Doping Ban Cut Short

In a tearful return, Paul Pogba signed a two-year deal with Monaco after serving an 18-month doping ban, reduced from four years. The 32-year-old, who last played for Juventus, resumes his career as a free agent. The World Cup winner tested positive for DHEA but was cleared of intentional use by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

When the curtain lifted on Paul Pogba’s new chapter, emotions ran high as the French midfielder signed a two-year contract with AS Monaco, officially marking his return to professional football. The 32-year-old, who began his career at Manchester United before moving to Juventus and then back to Old Trafford in a record £89 million transfer in 2016, had spent the last 18 months sidelined due to a doping suspension.

Pogba’s ban followed a failed test after Juventus' opening game of the 2023–24 season against Udinese, where he was found to have inadvertently consumed DHEA, a banned substance that boosts testosterone. Though initially handed a four-year ban, the punishment was reduced to 18 months upon appeal in October 2024. He mutually terminated his contract with Juventus in November and became a free agent, eligible to sign from March 2025.

Despite being out of action, Pogba kept himself ready and now rejoins Ligue 1 for the first time in his career. During his previous spells, Pogba won four Serie A titles with Juventus and played a key role in France’s 2018 World Cup win, scoring in the final. His move to Monaco is being seen as a hopeful revival, one that he called La renaissance and a chance to reset a career filled with brilliance and setbacks.