September 12 – Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended from playing after a drugs test conducted by Italy’s anti-doping tribunal (Nado) found elevated levels of testosterone in his system.
Pogba was randomly selected for a drugs test following his side’s 0-3 league victory over Udinese on the August 20, despite the Frenchman being an unused substitute.
If found guilty, the 2018 World Cup champion could face between two to four years on the sidelines serving a suspension.
Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” Pimenta added.
Pogba has three days to produce a counter-analysis for Nado, which will allow him to continue to play if the evidence is deemed satisfactory.
Nado said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when it found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds”.
The 30-year-old Frenchman rejoined former club Juventus for free on a four-year deal last summer, after concluding an underwhelming stint at Manchester United where he transferred in 2016 for a then-world-record fee.
Since his much-anticipated return to Turin, Pogba’s time at the club has been marked by injury, which saw him play just 162 minutes last term, despite being one of the highest earners at the club.
He has also been subject to multiple controversies since last summer, including a rumoured run-in with a witch-doctor and a high-profile fallout with the Italian mafia.
Juventus will likely be without their biggest midfield asset for the team’s next league match versus Lazio this weekend as I Bianconeri seek to put pressure on the Milan clubs who have both maintained perfect starts to the Serie A season.
The writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1735379097labto1735379097ofdlr1735379097owedi1735379097sni@g1735379097niwe.1735379097yrrah1735379097