Juventus Turin had been negotiating with Paul Pogba about dissolving his contract for quite some time. Now there has been a breakthrough, as the Italian record champions confirmed.
A few years ago, Paul Pogba was still one of the best in world football – but those days are long gone. The Frenchman is currently banned for doping – and from December 1, he will also be without a club. As Juventus Turin announced on Friday, the parties have agreed by mutual consent to dissolve the contract, which runs until 2026, as of November 30. The Turin-based club did not disclose details, but wished “Paul only the best for his professional future”.
In August 2023, Pogba tested positive for high levels of testosterone after a Serie A game between Juventus and Udinese Calcio. After the B sample confirmed the result, a draconian punishment was handed down. The 2018 world champion was banned for four years, but he appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), denying that he had used any banned performance-enhancing substances. The CAS shortened the suspension to 18 months because the player could not be proven to have acted intentionally.
Juve and the burden of eight million
Pogba could therefore play football again from March, but he will not do so in Turin. Due to his suspension, he is said to have earned only a “minimum wage” of just under €30,000 gross per year at the Old Lady. However, the legal situation in this regard would have changed from March onwards, as he would have been a regular player in the squad and the club would therefore have had to meet its contractual obligations. And Pogba, who had joined Juve on a free transfer in 2022, reportedly had a contract that guaranteed him eight million euros net per year.
The Turin-based club, which is struggling financially these days, probably had no intention of keeping the Frenchman for this reason. “He was a great player who was missing for a long time. We were therefore forced to invest in other players,” sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli had recently explained, making it clear that ‘and the squad is full at the moment.’ It probably didn’t help that Pogba had indicated his willingness to take a pay cut in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport.
Future uncertain
Most recently, the Italian media had reported that Juve would have been willing to waive any claim for damages due to the doping offense, provided that Pogba, for his part, waived a severance payment. How they have now agreed is unknown, but one thing is certain: Juve and Pogba are going their separate ways – and apparently without any major bad blood between the parties.
In any case, the player appeared conciliatory. “There are moments in life when things don’t go as planned,” the 31-year-old wrote in an Instagram post that evening, before expressing his thanks to the Juve fans: “But one thing is clear: the connection with you, dear fans, is unforgettable. You have given me so much – more than I can express in words. I will always carry your affection in my heart. Good luck, Juventus.”
It is unclear what the future holds for Pogba. Tuttosport recently reported that he was considering a move to the Major League Soccer.
