Pogba banned for four years after testing positive for doping

La Repubblica reports that this Thursday Paul Pogba was banned for four years after a positive anti-doping test last September, in a game in which he did not even compete.

The Italian midfielder, who is currently 30 years old, therefore risks ending his career immediately, as he will be almost 35 years old when his suspension ends. Pogba, it’s worth noting, will turn 31 in March.

We are talking about a positive test for testosterone, a substance that is an anabolic steroid and helps accelerate muscle development, during a routine test carried out by the Italian League in a match between Juventus and Udinese on August 20 last year, in which he did not play either minutes on the field.

To explain this positive test result, the player’s representation announced last September that the testosterone metabolites were derived from a dietary supplement prescribed by a doctor the player consulted in the United States, and the player reneged on the deal to avoid the maximum penalty.

The 2018 world champion with France, who scored in the final of Croatia (4-2), played only two matches in the 2023/24 season, the last of which took place on September 3, 2023, and since returning to the Italian team in which he has already played with 2012 to 2016, in total he played 12 matches over more than a season and a half.

Meanwhile, he represented Manchester United in a glittering career that included the 2018 World Cup title with Les Bleus, the Europa League with Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils, four Italian Championships and other trophies such as the Nations League. in 2021.

Trained in Le Havre, he won 91 caps for France, which he has not represented since 2022, and he turns 31 next month, so a ban could end his career.