Paul Pogba, the renowned Juventus midfielder and French international, has been hit with a provisional suspension from professional football following allegations of an anti-doping violation.
The suspension was imposed by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal in response to Pogba’s recent test results, which revealed elevated levels of testosterone following Juventus’ triumphant 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20.
Testosterone, a hormone known to enhance athletic endurance, became the focal point of the investigation as the tribunal determined that Pogba had violated anti-doping regulations by exhibiting “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites.”
Moreover, the tribunal stated that the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.”
In a statement issued on Monday, Pogba’s Italian club, Juventus Football Club, made the announcement: “Juventus Football Club announces that today, 11 September, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on 20 August, 2023. The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”
Pogba, who recently returned to Juventus on a free transfer after a tumultuous period at Manchester United, now faces a challenging legal battle.
He has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the test results to the tribunal. If found guilty of doping, Pogba could confront a ban ranging from two to four years, a potential career-altering consequence for the talented midfielder.
