Paul Pogba doping ban reduced from 4 years to 18 months

Paul Pogba has h his four-year ban for doping reduced to 18 months after appealing to Court of Arbitration for Sport.

ruling means France World Cup winner will be free to resume his career in March 2025.

CAS confirmed earlier reports that ban was reduced when approached by Associated Press on Friday. CAS did t elaborate on decision.

Pogba did t immediately comment but me a cryptic post on his Instagram feed of an im — presumably of him — wearing a pair of boots and socks with initials “PP.”

Juventus midfielder tested positive for testosterone in August last year and was handed maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court.

At time, Pogba said “ verdict is incorrect” and appealed to Switzerland-based CAS.

“I am s, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he said.

Four-year bans are standard under world anti-doping code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove ir doping was t intentional, if positive test was a result of contamination or if y provide “substantial assistance” to help investigators.

31-year-old Pogba was most expensive soccer player in history when he joined Manchester United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($113 million) in 2016.

He starred in France's World Cup triumph in 2018 and returned to Juventus as a free nt in 2022. But injuries limited him to just eight Serie A appearances in his second spell at club before his ban.

Pogba was suspended after positive test was anunced in September last year.