There are not many names which have caused as much passion and curiosity regarding football as Paul Pogba. The French play maker who is famous for his technique, physical strength and theatrical skills has had his share of highs and lows in his career. Pogba’s rise from being a world champion to facing a ban at the height of his football career has been as dramatic as it is fascinating. Now, when fans are expecting his return in March of 2025, there is a kind of anticipation and interest in his possible return.
The Ban: How We Got Here
In late 2023 the football fraternity was shocked with information that Pogba had received a provisional ban after he was found with a prohibited substance in his tests. It emerged after standard anti-doping checks that were conducted in August, after Juve’s game against Udinese. Pogba’s A-sample was said to be positive of increased testosterone, a substance prohibited in any sporting activities.
Pogba’s team tried to explain that the positive test could be due to ingestion, perhaps from contaminated supplements, but the provisional suspension stayed while the investigation went on. By the end of the year 2023, Pogba was given a long-term ban making Him unavailable for most part of 2024 and beyond. Paredes was banned for the match and the suspension overshadowed his career given his history of injuries and patchy performances after returning to Juventus in 2022.
However, Pogba has not been found guilty of any of the allegations throughout the process stating that he has been up to supporting clean sport. The Frenchman’s fans have stuck with him awaiting for that day when their hero would be out on the field again.
The Setbacks: This sends him on a career full of injuries and inconsistency.
Paul Pogba’s return to the Juventus below expectations is a far cry from what fans expected of the players second stint at the club. When Pogba left Manchester United in 2022, he was determined to have an impact as he had when he was playing for Turin earlier in his career. However, his time at Italy was immediately marred by injuries and he was not to be greatly effective on the pitch. He began the year with a complaint of a recurring knee injury, which was followed by a torn meniscus that forced him out of the court for significant parts of the 2022-2023 season.
At times Pogba was also in the Juventus team he also failed to conquer back his best form. The sparks that had at one point or the other, transformed him into one of the most dreaded midfielders in the world were slowly but surely, fading away. But for a player who had joined Manchester United in 2016 breaking the then record transfer fee, Pogba’s career looked to be at a nadir.
This doping ban only compounded the existing lacking clarity over his future. Some doubted whether Pogba would ever be able to offer such form that featured for France in their World Cup success in 2018. Some questioned if his body could endure the stress set forth by football’s highest after so many hurdles.
The Road to Recovery: How Pogba’s Return Might Be Good
Only it could be repurchased based on the default parameters of the contract as early as in March, 2025, the return of Pogba. At 32, he will not get to be the young talent that made headlines when he first took the world stage. But he can still be rather important on the sports ground and even in other life aspects as well. In fact, the break from football might just have helped to put more steel in Pogba’s spine. Other athletes have had time off from either suspension or injury and returned better men and women, and with Pogba having so much talent on the football field -there is the potential.
Another interesting factor for the possibility of Pogba to return is what he could add for a Juventus side has been in transition. The big fishes have not been consistent over the years, they are doing a poor show in the Italian league and have not stamped their authority in Europe. Pogba’s presence and influence will definitely serve as a big advantage for Juventus in rebuilding a team that can contend again for major titles, so long as Juve adds other acquisition to their roster as well.
Furthermore, the Pogba’s return probably may come during the French national team preparations for the 2026 World Cup. Despite not featuring in the 2022 edition France made it to the final Pogba’s talent and analytical capacity especially when controlling play in the midfield might prove to be a boost for Les Bleus as they seek to maintain their stranglehold on world football. Ending the previous season well may just propel him into forcing his way back into Didier Deschamps’ team, which only makes the restart even more interesting.
Managing Expectations: Expectations of Pogba: 2025 & Beyond
However, caution needs to be taken in anticipation of Pogba’s return because some players do not have that same impact when they return from injury. By the time Pogba is to rejoin his team, he will have spent more than one year without playing under competitive leagues. I think it will take a while before he gets back into the pace of the game and comes to the fitness level needed for the matches. So, Juventus must not haste him back and include him in the team before he is fully fit and ready so that they do not have to deal with his conditions again.
With that in mind, due to Pogba’s tool bag of tricks, he no longer needs to be the visceral ball height dancing, destroyer midfielder of old. He possesses vision, passing range and the capacity to influence the tempo of a match – all of which could make him invaluable to Juventus if his type of game switches more to conducting from a less advanced position. As Pogba has proven in the past and other great players have done over time, if he changes his style of play, he can be a key figure in both France and Manchester United again.
A Legacy at Stake
The return to play in the 2025 edition will not be only football related to Paul Pogba. That will be about remaking his image in a sport in which expectations from celebrities have always been high. For a player who has more often than not occasioned controversy or provocation, Pogba’s homecoming therefore presents a chance to start anew in his career. Whether he can silence the critics and deliver on his undoubted potential remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: All the attention will be focused on him once he returns to the pitch in March 2025.
This comeback will determine what next for Pogba and for many fans it is an opportunity to see whether they were right in supporting him all along.
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