‘Pogba deserves a chance’ says former Italy and Serie A defender

Former Italy and Serie A defender Federico Balzaretti insists Paul Pogba ‘deserves a chance’ even if it may not be at Juventus.

The French midfielder will return to action in March 2025 as his four-year doping ban has been cut to 18 months.

However, it’s practically impossible for him to play for Juventus again as the Bianconeri are in talks to terminate his contract.

In his latest interview with Tuttosport newspaper, ex-Juventus, Palermo and Roma defender Balzaretti admitted it would be “hard” to see Pogba wear the Bianconeri shirt again.

‘Pogba deserves a chance’ says former Italy and Serie A defender

“Thiago Motta doesn’t look at the name, and he tends to protect the team,” said the ex-Italy international.

“Everyone deserves a second chance. Pogba is a guy who’s had many issues and hasn’t played for a long time. It won’t be easy to return to his levels.

“He has great motivations and a big passion, but we must first understand how he feels physically. If Juventus think he’s not useful anymore, he deserves a chance in a strong team elsewhere.”

Pogba returned to Juventus on a free transfer from Manchester United in 2022 but has made only 12 competitive appearances since

He failed a doping test after an away game at Udinese in August 2023. Pogba had not been introduced in that match and spent the entire game on the bench.

He hasn’t trained with the Juventus’ first team since September 2023, and his contract at the Allianz Stadium runs out in June 2026.