Juventus Midfielder Paul Pogba Has Been Handed A Four-Year Suspension For Doping

Juventus Midfielder Paul Pogba Has Been Handed A Four-Year Suspension For Doping

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba reportedly faces a four-year suspension from professional football after being found guilty of using a performance-enhancing drug. The 30-year-old tested positive for testosterone following Juve’s opening match of the 2023-24 season against Udinese.

According to La Repubblica, Pogba’s legal team rejected a plea deal, arguing that the substance was accidentally ingested. However, the midfielder has now been handed a four-year ban from football.

Pogba, who will turn 31 in the middle of next month, would not be eligible to return to the pitch until he is 34, should the ruling be upheld, as the suspension will be effective from the date of his initial positive test.

The France international, who has represented his country 91 times, began his professional career at Manchester United. However, he only managed to make seven appearances for the club before departing on a free transfer to Juventus.

During his highly successful first stint in Turin, Pogba made 178 appearances for the Old Lady, clinching four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia trophies, and the Italian Super Cup before returning to Manchester United in 2016.

Pogba amassed 226 appearances in his second tenure at Old Trafford, securing the Europa League, EFL Cup, and FA Cup titles before returning to Juventus on a four-year contract in July 2022.

However, the midfielder’s playing time was limited to just 10 appearances during the 2022-23 season due to injury. Furthermore, he has only featured twice for his current club in the ongoing season.

Pogba was listed as an unused substitute in the team’s season opener against Udinese. However, he came off the bench in matches against both Bologna and Empoli before being sidelined for the next four fixtures due to injury.

According to reports from Sky in Italy, Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) upheld the decision of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office to impose the suspension.

Pogba reportedly intends to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), maintaining that he did not intentionally violate any regulations.

With Pogba’s contract with Juventus set to expire in June 2026, he will become a free agent once the four-year suspension period has elapsed. There are now serious uncertainties regarding the continuation of his professional football career.