Pogba signs 2-year deal with Monaco to relaunch career after doping ban

Former France midfielder Paul Pogba joined Monaco on a two-year contract on Saturday in a bid to relaunch a stellar career derailed by injuries and a doping ban.

Monaco confirmed the widely expected transfer on the club website, and in a video posted on X, with the 32-year-old Pogba wearing the club’s red-and-white jersey.

The former Juventus and Manchester United player will play in the French top flight for the first time.

Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 last season and Pogba, who has been without a club since leaving Juventus last year, gets the chance to play Champions League soccer again providing Monaco gets through qualifying.

Pogba honed his technique in France at Le Havre’s academy but signed with Manchester United at age 16 in 2009.

Previously one of the world’s top midfielders, Pogba made more headlines in recent years with his off-field problems.

Last year, Juventus said it came to “a mutual agreement” with him to cancel his contract despite the 2018 World Cup winner having a ban for doping slashed. The Serie A club never seemed enthusiastic about welcoming him back after his four-year ban for doping was cut to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pogba tested positive for testosterone in 2023 and was handed the maximum punishment by Italy’s anti-doping court. CAS judges reduced it as they acknowledged a lack of intent and said his positive test was the result of erroneously taking a prescribed supplement.

In 2016, Paul became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros ($116 million).

He has played 91 times for France and scored in the World Cup final when Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2.

Kylian Mbappé, who also scored in the 2018 final and enjoyed a good relationship with Pogba, posted a message on Instagram saying “Pogback” and “Daghe Munegu” (which in Monaco dialect means “Go Monaco.”)

Overall, Pogba netted 39 goals for United in 226 games.

He returned to Juventus as a free agent in 2022, but injuries limited him to 12 matches in his second spell at the club.

Monaco’s signing of Pogba shows an intent to mount a stronger challenge for the French title next season after wasting a good start last season.

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AP Sports Writer Jerome Pugmire in Paris contributed.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer