French midfielder Paul Pogba, currently with Juventus, has been provisionally suspended following a doping control that revealed elevated levels of testosterone, as confirmed by Italian anti-doping authorities (Nado) on Monday, September 11. This suspension is a crushing blow to the 30-year-old, who had been hoping to bounce back from a challenging season marked by injuries and a blackmail scandal. The alleged doping incident occurred after Juventus's 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20, during which Pogba was an unused substitute.
In an interview with Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera on Monday, the 2018 World Cup champion expressed his strong desire to return to the field after a tough year that could have "destroyed" him. Unfortunately, he was met with this new setback as Nado found that Pogba had violated anti-doping regulations by detecting "non-endogenous testosterone metabolites," a prohibited substance. Juventus released a statement noting that Pogba had received a precautionary suspension and that the club would consider its next steps. The test results pertain to the 'A' sample, and if the 'B' sample also confirms the presence of testosterone, Pogba could face a four-year ban.
Pogba rejoined Juventus in July 2022 after a stint with Manchester United. From 2012 to 2016, he played a pivotal role in Juve's success, helping them secure four Serie A titles and two Italian Cups, as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2015. Despite being a star player during France's 2018 World Cup victory, his 2022-2023 season was marred by injuries and involvement in a multimillion-euro blackmail plot orchestrated by childhood friends and one of his brothers.
During that season, he played only ten games for Juventus and missed the 2022 World Cup with the French national team. In the previous season, he participated in just six Serie A matches but was expected to make a comeback against Lazio. In his interview with Al Jazeera, Pogba expressed his strong desire to return to the game despite the difficulties he had faced.
He also candidly discussed how the blackmail incident had deeply affected him, leading him to question the importance of money and fame in his life. Now, with this latest setback, Pogba faces an uncertain period while awaiting the results of the 'B' test.
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Source: Le Monde
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