Paul Pogba ‘Sad, Shocked and Heartbroken’ After Receiving 4 Year Ban Due to Failed Anti-Doping Test
Juventus and France superstar, Paul Pogba receives 4 year ban due to failed doping test
World Cup winner Paul Pogba has received a 4 year ban from all football, off the back of a failed doping test after the first game of the 2023/24 season Serie A. The former Manchester United player tested positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a substance which boosts testosterone production of the user.
The date in which the test took place was the 20th August 2023, directly following Juventus’s 3-0 win over Udinese, however Pogba did not make an appearance this game.
The testing process required the player to provide an A and a B sample, in this case both samples came back positive for doping. As a result of the ban that the athlete has received, his return to football will be no sooner than August 2027.
Pogba has been vocal on the situation, releasing a statement which said “I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect, I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.”
Claiming that he is ‘Sad, shocked and heartbroken’ the midfielder went on to say “When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations” leading us to believe that their is more to this story that the public are aware of.
It is also known that Pogba and his team will be looking to appeal the decision given to the Frenchmen, saying “As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.” The Court of Arbitration for Sport being the worlds highest sporting court.
Various different players and professionals have given their opinions on the subject, some supporting Pogba and some not, one of those being Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri. Allegri said “It’s very sad both on a human level and for football, as we are losing an extraordinary player”, showing empathy towards the player and his situation.
This is news that will leave a majority of the footballing world dejected, and with the decisions made there is a high chance we will not see Paul Pogba rejoin the Juventus squad until 2027. There is also the possibility we never see Pogba touch a football pitch again.
