Pogba admits: ‘I would have quit football’ had four-year ban been upheld at Juventus | OneFootball

Paul Pogba has admitted that he ‘would have quit football’ altogether had his four-year anti-doping suspension been upheld, and insists that the authorities ‘didn’t really listen to what I had told them’ before giving their initial verdict.

The former Juventus and Manchester United midfielder was given a four-year ban as a result of a failed doping test that took place in August of 2023, after an away match against Udinese in Serie A.

The 2018 World Cup winner was prohibited from any involvement in professional footballing activity, was forced to train away from the club’s training centre, and eventually had his contract terminated by Juventus in November 2024. The suspension was later reduced, and Pogba has been allowed to return to competitive football since March 2025.

Pogba: ‘I would have quite football if given four years’

Paul Pogba EPA-EFE/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL

Speaking in an interview with GQ France, Pogba revealed: “I would have quit football had I taken four years. I didn’t want to say it publicly, but that’s what I thought.”

Describing what life was like training away from Continassa while his teammates carried on as normal, he added: “I took the ball and played outside, alone. I made do with what I had. But I didn’t want to stay in Turin. The next morning, I dropped my children off at school, which was right next to the training centre, what a pain …”

And, describing his initial reaction after learning of his four-year suspension, Pogba said: “I didn’t understand. What for? They gave me the maximum sentence, which meant that they didn’t really listen to what I’d told them.”

Pogba’s suspension was later reduced, and he became eligible to play competitively again at the beginning of 2025.

But, how did the Frenchman end up ingesting a prohibited substance, particularly when he has access to top-class facilities and experts in the Juventus medical staff?

“Football is like that today,” columnist Daniel Rioli added.

“All players have services on the side, which they deploy on top of what they do with their clubs. They employ people for their physical preparation, their diet, their mental health, but also for protection, or even a hairdresser or secretary.

“It’s part of the individualism of modern football, but we have to wonder if there was an injury risk when this kind of individualised approach is added to what a club has already said. IF that is the case, Pogba has had a lot of injuries in his career.”