Pogba Suspended, Tests Positive For Doping (image-www.instagram/paulpogba)
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping offence by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal.
30-year-old former Manchester United midfielder tested positive for testosterone in random drugs test after the Juventus Serie A game against Udinise on August 20.
Testosterone is a hormone used to increase athlete’s endurance. Players who have been found to violate anti-doping regulations could reportedly face bans of up to four years.
“Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on August 20, 2023,” a statement from the Serie A side read.
Pogba was selected for random-post match testing after 3-0 win, though being an unused substitute.
Pogba”s agent, Rafela Piementa has said “”We’re waiting for the counter-analysis and we can’t say anything now. For sure, Pogba never wanted to bend the rules — I can guarantee that,” was posted by Football transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano on X.
Paul Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta: “We’re waiting for the counter-analysis and we can’t say anything now” ⚠️🇫🇷
“For sure, Pogba never wanted to bend the rules — I can guarantee that”, told Tuttosport. pic.twitter.com/vixLA9NzKb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 11, 2023
Pogba rejoined Juventus from Manchester United last summer and has made eight series A appearance for the club so far.
The test result will be a negative mark on the star player as he was bothered by the injury ever since joining Juventus from Manchester United. He was unable to get into the France’s Qatar World cup squad due to his knee injury last year.
In an interview published by Al Jazeera, Pogba considered retiring from professional football due to an alleged organised armed extortion attempt against him which involved his brother. An investigation was opened last year on the basis of the allegation that the France midfielder was the target of an extortion plot by his brother Mathias Pogba and childhood friends demanding a huge sum from him.
“Money changes people… It can break up a family,” he said. “It can create a war. Sometimes I was just by myself thinking: “I don”t want to have money anymore. I just don”t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me — not for the fame, not for the money.” Sometimes it”s tough,” he said while speaking to Al Jazeera’s Generation Sport.
Mathias Pogba, Guinean professional football player is currently without a club after leaving French lower-league side Belfort in 2022.
