Career Threatening Ban Issued For Paul Pogba Following Failed Drug Test
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year ban from football after testing positive for testosterone in a drugs test conducted last August. The anti-doping prosecutor’s office in Italy issued the punishment on Thursday, as reported by La Repubblica.
Pogba, who is currently 30 years old, had hoped for a lighter sentence after his lawyers rejected a plea deal and claimed that he had accidentally ingested the substance. However, the prosecution did not accept this explanation, leading to the imposing of the four-year ban, which could potentially mark the end of Pogba’s career.
The 2018 World Cup winner intends to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. If unsuccessful, Pogba would be unable to return to the field until he reaches the age of almost 35.
Pogba’s suspension represents a significant downfall for a player who was once the world’s most expensive footballer. After leaving Manchester United for Juventus in 2012 on a free transfer, he won four consecutive Serie A titles before returning to Old Trafford in 2016 for a then-record fee of £89 million.
During his second stint with Manchester United, Pogba lifted the Europa League and the League Cup but was unable to propel the team to a Premier League title. In 2022, he left the club on a free transfer to rejoin Juventus, seeking to revive his career. However, his first season back in Turin was plagued by injuries, and he made only one appearance.
Following a drugs test after Juventus’s opening match of the 2023-24 season, Pogba was found to have DHEA, a substance that can naturally enhance testosterone levels, in his system. He requested that his B-sample be tested as well, but it also returned a positive result, leading Juventus to consider terminating his contract.
Pogba consistently maintained his innocence, stating that he had no knowledge of how the substance entered his system and that he had no intention of gaining a competitive advantage.
Comparisons were drawn to a previous case in Serie A involving Joao Pedro, a Brazilian forward, who received a six-month ban after testing positive for a diuretic. Pedro successfully argued that he had unknowingly consumed contaminated food supplements.
