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Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba 'receives four-year doping suspension'

Juventus midfielder Pogba 'receives four-year doping suspension'
© Reuters
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is allegedly banned from professional football for four years, having been found guilty of using a performance-enhancing drug.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has reportedly been banned from professional football for four years, having been found guilty of using a performance-enhancing drug.

The 30-year-old tested positive for testosterone following Juve's first match of the 2023-24 campaign against Udinese.

According to La Repubblica, Pogba's lawyers rejected a plea deal, claiming that the substance had been accidentally ingested, but the midfielder has now been hit with a four-year ban from football.

Pogba will turn 31 in the middle of next month, meaning that he would not be able to return to the field until he is 34, if the ruling is upheld, as it will start from when he first tested positive.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba pictured in May 2023© Reuters

The 91-time France international started his professional career at Manchester United, but he only made seven appearances for the club before leaving on a free transfer for Juventus.

A highly-successful first spell in Turin saw Pogba make 178 appearances for the Old Lady, winning four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and the Italian Super Cup before returning to Man United in 2016.

Pogba made 226 appearances during his second spell at Old Trafford, winning the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup, before returning to Juventus on a four-year deal in July 2022.

The midfielder was restricted to just 10 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign due to injury, though, and he has featured just twice for his current side this season.

Juventus' Paul Pogba down after sustaining an injury on May 14, 2023© Reuters

Pogba was an unused substitute against Udinese in the team's campaign opener, but he featured off the bench against both Bologna and Empoli before missing the next four through injury.

According to Sky in Italy, Italy's National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) accepted the ruling of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office to hand out the suspension.

Pogba is said to be planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), with the midfielder insisting that he did not intentionally break any rules.

The Frenchman's contract with Juventus is due to expire in June 2026, so he will be a free agent once the four-year suspension has been served, and there are now serious doubts over whether his career as a professional footballer will continue.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CInter Milan34285181186389
2AC Milan34217664392570
3Juventus341811547262165
4Bologna341712549272263
5Roma34178961412059
6Atalanta BCAtalanta331761061372457
7Lazio34174134335855
8Fiorentina331481150371350
9Napoli341311105243950
10Torino341113103131046
11Monza341111123644-844
12Genoa341012123840-242
13Lecce34812143149-1836
14CagliariCagliari34711163659-2332
15Hellas VeronaHellas Verona34710173145-1431
16FrosinoneFrosinone34710174363-2031
17Empoli3487192650-2431
18Udinese34417133251-1929
19SassuoloSassuolo3468204070-3026
RSalernitana3429232673-4715


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