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Former Manchester United player Paul Pogba is no longer making the headlines for his performances. Now that he has rejoined his former club Juventus, his situation is not improving. And while he had every right to dream during the course of the season, his positive anti-doping test has just pushed him further down the pecking order.
The Italian state news agency ANSA reported on Monday 11 September 2023 that French midfielder Paul Pogba had tested positive in a doping test. This is bad news for the player who would have liked to relaunch his career, which for some time now has not been what he would have wished for a professional of his standing due to injuries and inconsistent performances.
Indeed, Paul Pogba was tested for doping during the first match of the 2023-24 Serie A season, the Vecchia Signora’s opening match against Udinese, which ended 3-0 in favour of the Turin side. And even though the Frenchman did not play a single minute of the match, he still had to pass the test. And unfortunately for him, it was revealed that he tested positive for traces of testosterone.
The 30-year-old, who has played just 52 minutes in Serie A this season for the Vecchia Signora, has returned after a lengthy injury that hampered his return to the Turin club, where he played from 2012 to 2016 and returned from Manchester United last summer. And while everyone expected him to bounce back in fine style, in the end he played just six league games for Juve, only one of them as a starter.
For their part, Italian club Juventus made it official in a press release that they accepted Pogba’s suspension requested by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court, although Pogba will now be able to appeal in the coming days and request a counter-analysis. However, if the positive result is confirmed, he will be tried by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court. Disqualification for doping can be up to two years, or even four years if it is proved that the athlete intended to dop.
