Paul Pogba Breaks Down in Tears as He Finally Returns to football After 18-Month Doping Ban Hell: "My Wife Abandoned Me"
Former Manchester United and Juventus star Paul Pogba has opened up about the emotional toll of his four-year football ban, revealing how fame and relationships quickly faded once his career was put on pause.
The 32-year-old midfielder was suspended after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a banned substance that boosts testosterone. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the ban, marking a painful chapter in Pogba’s life.
“I realised how empty everything felt once football was taken away,” he said
“The moment I stopped being ‘Pogba the superstar,’ people vanished. Even my wife distanced herself—and that still breaks me.”
He described how invitations to fashion events dried up and calls from potential clients stopped coming in.
“My phone went quiet, and honestly, I’ve made peace with it. That’s life. Sometimes it’s in losing everything that you see what really matters.”
The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder, 32, was provisionally suspended after being randomly tested following Juventus' opening game of the 2023-24 season against Udinese.
He later received a four-year ban, which was cut to 18 months in October 2024 following an appeal.
In June 2025, Paul Pogba broke down in tears as he signed a two-year contract with Monaco, sealing his return to competitive football after a doping suspension.
An emotional Pogba said "thanks for the trust" after putting pen to paper on the Monaco deal, and capped his announcement video with the words "La renaissance", seemingly promising fans a career revival.
He agreed to a mutual termination of his contract with Juventus in November and has since been able to restart his career as a free agent, starting in March.
It will be the first time the France World Cup winner has played in Ligue 1 in his career.
In the final judgement of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it was confirmed that Pogba inadvertently took dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This substance boosts testosterone and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned list.
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Crucially, however, the ruling stated DHEA only has an effect on females.
Pogba started out at Manchester United before moving to Juventus, where he won Serie A in each of his first four seasons - including two Doubles.
He then returned to Old Trafford for a world-record £89m in 2016, and in his first season won the Europa League and FA Cup.
Pogba, who has 91 caps for France, then helped Les Bleus to 2018 World Cup glory, scoring in the final as they beat Croatia 4-2 in Russia.
