Paul Pogba left his home country of France at the age of 16 to join Manchester United’s illustrious Carrington Academy. He remained here for three years and then moved to Italian giants Juventus on a free transfer in the summer of 2012. It was in Turin where Pogba shone as a young talent, collating an impressive highlight reel, and winning the Scudetto in all four years he was at the club. His performances at Juventus led him to return to Manchester United for a then-world record fee of £90 million.
The price tag that Pogba carried, paired with a string of underwhelming performances, brought strong criticism from fans and pundits alike. Domestic silverware did not hide from him during his time in England; earning a Europa League, an FA Cup, and a League Cup medal.
On the international stage, Pogba shook hands with paradise. A 4-2 win over Croatia included a quintessential outside-of-the-box goal for the Frenchman which brought the World Cup trophy back to France for the first time since 1998.
Fast-forward to 2022 and Pogba returned to Juventus on a free transfer. Many felt like six-prime seasons of Pogba’s career had gone to waste with himself stating: “The last five years have not satisfied me.”
Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal accepted the order to deliver the ban on March 1st 2024, backdating the duration to when the drug test was failed - August of the year prior. The headline news came as a shock to fans across the globe. Pogba was quick to make a statement on the matter; saying he is, “sad, shocked, and heartbroken.” He has since announced that he will be launching an appeal on the decision.
Undoubtedly a world-class player on his day, the punishment puts a severe dampener on any talk of Pogba being an all-time great. The 2013 Golden Boy will be 34 years old by the time the ban is lifted which begs the question as to whether this will be the final nail in the coffin of a legendary career that could have been.
