'Its the club's decision' — Juventus coach refuses to back Pogba's return to the fold

Juventus head coach Thiago Motta has refused to address the rumours that Juventus were planning on terminating Paul Pogba’s contract after reports of his ban reduction surfaced on the internet. 

The former Manchester United man was handed a four-year ban from football last year after elevated levels of testosterone were found in his bloodstream. 

The 31-year-old has always maintained his innocence in the doping allegations, and he appealed the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

Yesterday, a ruling was announced in his favour; the court decided to reduce his ban from the initial four years to 18 months. 

Juventus re-signed Pogba from Manchester United at the start of the 2022/23 season, but he only managed 12 appearances for the club before his ban, as he suffered from recurring injuries. 

Even before his ban, there have been reports that the Old Lady planned on terminating his contract. While those reports went away after his suspension, which significantly reduced his earnings at the club, they have not resurfaced since it was announced that he is set for a return in March. 

The club's head coach, Thiago Motta, was questioned about it in a recent press conference, and he kept his cards close to his chest as he deflected the question by saying the decision on Pogba's future was the club's responsibility.

“The club will decide what to do about Pogba," he said, per Fabrizio Romano. “Pogba was a great player... he hasn’t played for a long time. I’m only focused on the present."