Due to an anti-doping violation, Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been temporarily banned from playing football.
Following Juve’s 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20, the national anti-doping organization of Italy (Nado) reported that Pogba returned a test with excessive levels of testosterone.
Pogba, a 30-year-old international for France, was an unutilized replacement but was chosen at random for a post-game drug test.
If proven guilty of doping, he could receive a two- to four-year suspension.
In a statement, Juventus said: “Juventus Football Club announces that the National Anti-Doping Tribunal today, September 11, 2023, issued a precautionary suspension order to football player Paul Pogba in response to the findings of tests conducted on August 20, 2023.
When they discovered the illegal substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and the findings were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds,” Nado claimed Pogba had broken the anti-doping laws.
A hormone called testosterone helps athletes run longer distances.
Nado has three days to respond to Pogba’s analysis of the outcome.
After Pogba’s contract at Manchester United expired in July 2022 and he became a free agent, Juventus re-signed him on a four-year contract.
Injury-filled year for Paul Pogba
Pogba’s return to Turin has been hampered, meanwhile, by ongoing injury issues that also caused him to miss the World Cup in Qatar last year.
In games against Bologna and Empoli this season, Paul Pogba has filled in for a total of 51 minutes.
He played a total of 162 minutes last season without scoring, including 108 minutes spread across six Serie A games, three brief outings and one assist in the Europa League, and 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia.
Recently, Pogba’s injury issues reappeared. According to Juventus manager Massimo Allegri, the star developed a small back issue after playing against Empoli.
