Paul Pogba, the football player, got banned for four years because of doping. His testosterone test during his time at Juventus and France led to a suspension in September.
Two years after moving to Manchester United for a whopping £89 million, Pogba became the priciest football player globally. He also achieved victory in the World Cup with France in 2018.
Pogba, who will be 31 years old in March, was found to have tested positive for the prohibited substance testosterone on August 20. This happened on the same day that Juventus played against Udinese in Serie A. As a result, he was unable to participate as a replacement player.
Italy’s national anti-doping organization banned Pogba and the sports prosecutor requested the maximum punishment of a four-year suspension, which was ultimately approved.
Pogba is expected to challenge this decision by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the highest sports court located in Switzerland. However, if the four-year suspension stands, it could mark the end of his successful career.
The tribunal revealed that the banned substance found in Pogba’s system was identified as “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites.” They further stated that the evidence strongly suggests an external source for these compounds.
After his initial suspension, Pogba made it clear, through his agent, that he did not intentionally violate the rules.
A second test on Pogba’s sample in October also showed a positive result for testosterone.
Juventus has yet to respond to Pogba’s four-year suspension, but back in September, the Italian team mentioned they would consider their next steps after learning about Pogba’s temporary ban.
When Pogba’s contract with Manchester United ended in 2022, he managed to secure a four-year deal with Juventus on a free transfer.
United broke the world transfer record to bring Pogba back from Juventus in 2016, highlighting his status as one of the top players globally.
Despite winning the Europa League and Carabao Cup during his six years at United, Pogba’s return to Old Trafford often failed to meet expectations due to a lack of consistent success in major competitions.
In August 2022, Pogba was eager to rejoin Juventus after missing out on the World Cup the previous December.
During the first game of the season, Juventus beat Udinese 3-0 without making any substitutions, and Pogba later came off the bench in matches against Bologna and Empoli.