The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed the reduction of Paul Pogba's suspension from 4 years to 18 months, after determining that the intake of the substance for which he tested positive for testosterone was unintentional.

The panel handling the case partially upheld the appeal filed by Paul Pogba against the 4-year sanction imposed by the Italian anti-doping agency in September 2023. Besides reducing the suspension period, it annulled the fine of $5,486.

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CAS based its decision on the evidence and legal arguments provided by Pogba concerning the ingestion of DHEA, the substance he tested positive for, noting it was not consumed intentionally. The adverse result was a consequence of mistakenly taking a supplement prescribed by a doctor in Florida.

According to Pogba's defense, the doctor treats several high-profile American and international athletes and was aware of the French footballer's anti-doping obligations, in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.

The player requested a 12-month suspension, acknowledging some fault on his part but asked the CAS panel to determine no fault or negligence.

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Ultimately, the tribunal concluded that Pogba was not exempt from blame and that, as a professional footballer, he should have been more attentive to the circumstances.

The player tested positive for testosterone in a match against Udinese, the first of the 2023-24 Serie A season, in August.

Pogba appealed the decision, but the Italian Anti-Doping Tribunal upheld the suspension, which was confirmed by the Italian Anti-Doping Prosecutor in February of this year. Subsequently, the player took his case to CAS, which confirmed the reduction of the punishment, announced three days ago by the player himself on social media.