Paul Pogba Faces Suspension Over Doping Allegations
In a recent development, Juventus and France midfielder, Paul Pogba, finds himself in hot water as he has been provisionally suspended following a positive doping test for the banned substance testosterone.
The Italian anti-doping authorities (NADO) disclosed this to AFP on Monday.
According to NADO, “The National Antidoping Tribunal informs that, in acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Antidoping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba.”
NADO further revealed that the detected “prohibited substance is non-endogenous testosterone metabolites,” which raises concerns about a possible doping violation.
Reports from the Italian press indicate that the doping test was conducted on the opening day of the Italian Serie A season, during Juventus’ 3-0 victory against Udinese on August 20. Paul Pogba, aged 30, was listed as an unused substitute during that match.
It’s important to note that the test in question pertains to the ‘A’ sample. If the ‘B’ sample also returns a positive result for testosterone, Pogba could potentially face a four-year ban from competitive football.
In response to earlier reports circulating in the Italian press, NADO released a statement on Monday to clarify the situation, particularly regarding Pogba’s eligibility to play for Juventus against Lazio this upcoming weekend.
Pogba, who played a pivotal role in France’s 2018 World Cup victory, endured a challenging 2022-2023 season marked by injuries and a highly publicized blackmail scandal. He made only ten appearances for Juventus that season and missed the 2022 World Cup while representing France.
