Reports from Italian media indicate that Juventus player Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year ban from football due to a failed drug test.
The ex-Manchester United player received a provisional suspension back in September after his drug test showed elevated testosterone levels, a hormone known to enhance athletes’ endurance. This test was conducted randomly after Juventus’ first match of the 2023 season on August 20th.
BBC Sport reports that Pogba intends to challenge the ruling of Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal. Juventus confirmed they were notified of the tribunal’s decision Thursday morning.
As a result of this ban, Pogba, aged 30, will be ineligible to participate in any matches until 2027, when he turns 33. The ban was backdated to the date of the failed test.
During his initial suspension, Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, stated that Pogba never intentionally violated any rules. However, BBC’s findings reveal that Pogba was found to have breached regulations due to the presence of non-endogenous testosterone metabolites in his test, indicating an external source of the substances.
Pogba rejoined Juventus in July 2022 with a four-year contract after leaving Manchester United as a free agent. His previous stint with the Italian giants from 2012 to 2016 saw him feature in 178 matches and score 34 goals. Despite being a 2018 World Cup winner, Pogba has been injured since his return to Juventus, causing him to miss the recent World Cup in Qatar.
Pogba has only managed 51 minutes on the pitch as a substitute in matches against Bologna and Empoli this season. In the previous season, he accumulated 162 minutes across various competitions but failed to score any goals.
