Earlier this year, Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba was handed a four-year ban for a doping offense. As a result, the Old Lady are attempting to get out from under his contract.
Pogba was temporarily suspended by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal (NADO Italia) last September after testing positive for testosterone, which is a banned substance. The 2018 World Cup winner's positive test came after Juventus' match against Udinese on August 20, 2023.
When the ban was announced, Pogba issued a statement saying he would appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and insisted that he has never taken any banned substances.
"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me," Pogba stated in his statement.
"When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations."
Juventus hope to terminate Paul Pogba's contract
Tuttomercatoweb reports that Juventus are dealing with a tricky situation involving Pogba. Even though he's been banned for four years, the club still hasn’t been able to end his contract, per the report.
Moreover, the outlet notes that until this appeal is resolved, Juventus are still bound by the contract they signed with Pogba in 2022, which runs through 2026. They can only terminate the contract for just cause if his appeal doesn’t succeed.
Finally, the report states that the Serie A side has sharply reduced his salary by using Italian tax laws, cutting it from just over €8 million a year to €2,000 a month. Juventus hope to terminate the contract without having to reinstate him.
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