Paul Pogba Returns to Professional Football After Two-Year Absence
Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to professional football, playing his first minutes in over two years as he came off the bench during Monaco's 4-1 defeat to Rennes.
The 32-year-old midfielder was brought on in the 85th minute at Roazhon Park, where his team was already trailing by four goals and a player down following a red card issued to captain Denis Zakaria.
After signing with Ligue 1 club Monaco last summer, Pogba was emotional, having had his four-year doping ban reduced to 19 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Pogba's last competitive appearance occurred 811 days ago when he played for Juventus in a Serie A match against Empoli on September 3, 2023. He parted ways with Juventus by mutual consent in November 2024.
Initially, Pogba faced a provisional four-year ban after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in February 2024, following a doping test conducted in August 2023.
The former Manchester United star contended that the positive test was a mistake, claiming he had unknowingly consumed a supplement containing a banned substance.
In March, Pogba was cleared to return to football after the reduction of his ban.
During the match, Pogba watched from the bench as Rennes scored through Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo, and Ludovic Blas, putting them firmly in control.
Fellow substitute Mika Biereth managed to score a consolation goal for Monaco in the 95th minute. However, the defeat marked a second consecutive 4-1 loss for Sebastien Pocognoli's side, leaving them in eighth place in the table with 20 points after 13 matches.