Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been hit with a provisional suspension due to allegations of an anti-doping violation, which could have significant consequences for his career.
The Italy National Anti-Doping Tribunal (Nado) has revealed that Pogba’s drug test, conducted after Juventus’ 3-0 victory against Udinese on August 20, showed elevated levels of testosterone. It’s worth noting that Pogba, a 30-year-old France international, was randomly selected for post-match drug testing despite being an unused substitute in the match.
If found guilty of doping, Pogba could potentially face a suspension ranging from two to four years, a severe blow to his professional football career.
In response to the allegations, Juventus issued a statement on September 11, 2023, announcing Pogba’s precautionary suspension ordered by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal based on the test results from August 20, 2023. The club also mentioned that it retains the right to consider future procedural steps in this matter.
Nado stated that Pogba had breached anti-doping regulations by having “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” in his system, and the test results indicated that the origin of these compounds was “consistent with exogenous sources.” Testosterone is a hormone known to enhance athletes’ endurance, making its presence a serious matter in the world of professional sports.
Pogba now has a limited window of three days to provide a counter-analysis of the test results to Nado, potentially influencing the outcome of this case.
Pogba’s return to Juventus in July 2022 on a four-year contract, following his departure from Manchester United as a free agent, was met with anticipation. However, his tenure back in Turin has been marred by persistent injury issues, which also kept him out of the World Cup in Qatar the previous year.
During the current season, Pogba has seen limited action, accumulating a mere 51 minutes as a substitute in matches against Bologna and Empoli. Last season, he managed just 162 minutes of play across various competitions, with no goals to his name. Furthermore, his injury woes resurfaced recently, with Juventus manager Massimo Allegri disclosing a minor back problem following his appearance against Empoli.
