Paul Pogba has been slammed with a four-year ban from football for doping.
In what could be the end of his career, the former Manchester United midfielder is set to stay off footballing action for four years as per the verdict of anti-doping prosecutors office in Italy, La Republica reports.
Pogba's blood sample was collected for doping test in August 2023 during Juventus Serie A match with Udinese.
The test result came out positive. The 30-year-old then requested a B-sample of the test. His request was granted but the B-sample still turned out a positive result.
With the two tests coming out positive, Pogba was set for ban, duration of which said to be a function of the sagacity of his defense team.
Pogba's lawyers had vigorously argued he did not use the banned substance intentionally and must have accidentally ingested it but the argument was thrashed out by the prosecutors.
The four-year ban is the maximum sentence for athletes deemed to have intentionally used performance-boosting substances. The prosecutors had insisted the Juventus star intentionally used the substance hence the maximum sentence.
Nevertheless, Paul Pogba is set to appeal the ban by taking it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Should the CAS maintain the ruling by the Italian prosecutors, Pogba will literally have his career come to an end. He is 30 years old and will clock 34 when the ban expires.
At 34, the Juventus star is not likely to push for a return to active football after the ban. It is indeed a disastrous for one of the best midfielders in the game.
In what could be the end of his career, the former Manchester United midfielder is set to stay off footballing action for four years as per the verdict of anti-doping prosecutors office in Italy, La Republica reports.
Pogba's blood sample was collected for doping test in August 2023 during Juventus Serie A match with Udinese.
The test result came out positive. The 30-year-old then requested a B-sample of the test. His request was granted but the B-sample still turned out a positive result.
With the two tests coming out positive, Pogba was set for ban, duration of which said to be a function of the sagacity of his defense team.
Pogba's lawyers had vigorously argued he did not use the banned substance intentionally and must have accidentally ingested it but the argument was thrashed out by the prosecutors.
The four-year ban is the maximum sentence for athletes deemed to have intentionally used performance-boosting substances. The prosecutors had insisted the Juventus star intentionally used the substance hence the maximum sentence.
Nevertheless, Paul Pogba is set to appeal the ban by taking it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Should the CAS maintain the ruling by the Italian prosecutors, Pogba will literally have his career come to an end. He is 30 years old and will clock 34 when the ban expires.
At 34, the Juventus star is not likely to push for a return to active football after the ban. It is indeed a disastrous for one of the best midfielders in the game.