'Nightmare is over' - Pogba doping ban reduced to 18 months

Paul Pogba made 233 appearances during two spells with Manchester United and re-signed for Juventus in 2022

Paul Pogba says his "nightmare is over" after a four-year ban for a doping offence was reduced to 18 months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Sources close to the 31-year-old Juventus midfielder told BBC Sport he can resume training in January 2025 and will be eligible to play again from March.

France international Pogba was suspended by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in February after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone - a hormone that increases endurance - in his system.

Cas director general Matthieu Reeb confirmed to Reuters the ban had been reduced to 18 months from 11 September, 2023.

In a statement, Pogba said: "Finally the nightmare is over. I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

"I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.

"I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation.

"This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold."

Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba took his case to Cas and gave evidence in person at a hearing earlier this summer.

He previously said he would "never knowingly or deliberately" dope and believed the verdict was "incorrect".

Had the original ban stood, the 2018 World Cup winner would have been unable to play until 2027, when he will be 34.

Pogba was provisionally suspended in September 2023 after being randomly tested following Juventus' first match of the 2023-24 season on 20 August.

The positive test was confirmed by Nado in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor's office requested a four-year suspension.

Speaking at the time of the initial suspension, Pogba's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said: "What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule."

Juventus re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal in July 2022 after the player ran down his contract at Manchester United and left as a free agent following a six-year spell.

However, his return to Turin has been beset by persistent injury problems which also caused him to miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Pogba managed just 162 minutes across five appearances during the 2022-23 season and had played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute in the following campaign before his suspension.

Cas has been contacted by BBC Sport for comment.