New Delhi, India

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has made it clear that he is not finished as a professional footballer and brushed aside any suggestion he could retire despite a four-year doping ban. Notably, Pogba has not played since August 2023 and the 31-year-old is awaiting a date for his hearing in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) where he hopes to see his doping suspension reduced by two years. The veteran was banned earlier this year after testing positive for doping twice (the A sample and then the B sample).

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Talking to Sky Italia in Düsseldorf on Monday, ahead of his hearing, Pogba said, "If you haven't seen an interview of mine in which I say that I'm retiring, it means that it's not like that, because I still feel like a footballer." The midfielder spoke at the sidelines of France's 1-0 win against Belgium in the ongoing Euro 2024 round of 16 clash, in Germany.

'Pogba isn't finished, Pogba is here and until you see me say that I'm finished, don't worry'

Pogba further opined, "I want to fight this, for me, injustice. An interview has come out, I don't know if you've seen it all, they put something that ... I hadn't finished talking. Pogba isn't finished, Pogba is here and until you see me say that I'm finished, don't worry. I have an incredible desire to come back, I feel like a child who wants to be professional. I train, I do everything I can to get back on the pitch."

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Also read: Euro 2024: France edge past Belgium in tight Round of 16 match to enter quarterfinals

He added, "The latest news is I'm still a Juve player, I have the contract but I haven't had the opportunity to speak to the director and coach ... there's silence. I think they're waiting for the outcome of the appeal but you have to ask them."

The Frenchman can't play football professionally or train with Juventus, however, he has been working hard in his Turin mansion with a fitness coach in a gym and with a personal football coach on the pitch. Thus, the veteran remains firm to bounce back in style.

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Ahead of the France-Belgium R16 clash in the Euros, Pogba was invited to the high-profile game by the French FA and head coach Didier Deschamps. Later, he even paid a visit to the France dressing room post their 1-0 win over Belgium.

France is now set to lock horns with Portugal in a mouth-watering quarterfinal match on Saturday (July 6, IST)