Paul Pogba’s Juventus career is over after the Serie A club announced on Friday that the France midfielder’s contract had been terminated even though his doping ban was cut to 18 months on appeal.

Pogba will be able to return to competitive football in March after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) chopped last month an initial four-year suspension handed down by the Italian anti-doping authority NADO.

But Juventus have decided to cut ties with the 31-year-old, whose return to Turin from Manchester United in 2022 was ruined by a string of problems on and off the pitch.

In a statement, Juve said that they and Pogba “have reached a mutual agreement for the termination of their contract as of 30 November, 2024”.

His contract had been due to expire in 2026.

“You gave me a lot, more than what I could ever say, and I’ll always keep with me the love you showed me,” said Pogba to Juve fans on social media.

“You’ll always be in my heart. Good luck.”

Pogba had said in October that he was “willing to give up money to be able to play again with Juve”, an appeal which fell on deaf ears at the “Old Lady” of Italian football.

Juve’s announcement is no surprise as both coach Thiago Motta and sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli have both repeatedly referred to Pogba in the past tense, saying that “he was a great player”.

Pogba, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, started just one match after rejoining Juve — with whom he won four Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016 — in the summer of 2022.

He last played for Juve at Empoli in September last year, not long before he was provisionally suspended for testing positive for testosterone.

That test came following Juve’s opening Serie A fixture of last season the previous month, a 3-0 win at Udinese in which he didn’t even play.

He was then banned for four years by NADO in February, a sanction which put his career at risk before CAS reduced his punishment.

CAS accepted Pogba’s argument that the failed test “was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida”.

However, CAS did not completely exonerate Pogba as he “was not without fault” and as a professional football player, “he should have paid a greater care in the circumstances”.

During the 2022-23 season, Pogba made just 10 appearances for Juve, mainly due to a knee injury that also ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar where France lost out to Argentina in the final in December 2022.

He was also the victim of a case of organised extortion, for which six men, including his brother Mathias, have been ordered to stand trial.

In Pogba’s absence Juve switched manager from Massimiliano Allegri to Motta and brought in a host of new players as part of a rebuild.

Juve, who finished third last term without Pogba, splashed out over 120 million euros on midfielders Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram in a busy summer on the transfer market.

They currently sit sixth in Serie A but are only two points behind league leaders Napoli and face AC Milan at the San Siro after the international break.

AFP

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

In a shocking revelation, authorities in Katsina State have arrested a young man named Falalu, who confessed to orchestrating the abduction of his own mother.

The incident has left the community in disbelief, raising concerns over the lengths to which individuals might go for financial gain.

In a video released by authorities, Falalu openly admitted his involvement. “I arranged for the abduction of my mother,” he stated without remorse. “We worked on it together with one Nakande and another accomplice. We were three in total.” His casual confession and tone sent a wave of outrage and sorrow throughout Katsina, as he described how he meticulously planned his mother’s ordeal.

According to local sources, Falalu was motivated by financial issues. By working with Nakande, a known figure in the region, and another unnamed associate, they devised a scheme to demand ransom from their own family members. While such incidents have tragically become common across some parts of Nigeria, family involvement has added a new dimension of horror to this case.

The Katsina State Police have since taken Falalu and his accomplices into custody, assuring the public that justice will be served.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has commanded the mass production of attack drones, signaling a major escalation in the nation’s military capabilities.

The directive comes as concerns grow about the strengthening military ties between North Korea and Russia, which have sparked international scrutiny.

State-run media outlet KCNA reported that Kim’s decision to ramp up drone production follows a series of developments aimed at boosting North Korea’s defense capabilities. In August, Pyongyang first unveiled its attack drones, a move that experts believe is linked to its growing alliance with Russia, which has been providing technical support for North Korea’s weapons programs.

During a recent demonstration on Thursday, Kim Jong Un personally oversaw a test involving drones designed to strike both land and sea targets. The test reportedly showed the drones’ effectiveness, as they successfully hit their designated targets after flying along pre-programmed flight paths.

KCNA emphasized that Kim Jong Un expressed the urgent need to establish a serial production system for these drones, with the aim of achieving full-scale manufacturing in the shortest time possible. These unmanned drones, which are equipped with explosives, function as “suicide drones,” deliberately crashing into enemy targets and acting as guided missiles.

The state media further detailed that the new drones will be capable of operating across various ranges, allowing them to target both ground and maritime adversaries with precision. The continued development and deployment of such weaponry underline North Korea’s ongoing efforts to enhance its military deterrence capabilities amidst rising tensions in the region.

With these drones set to play a central role in future military strategies, North Korea’s investment in unmanned aerial technology marks a significant shift in its defense posture, potentially altering the balance of power in East Asia.