France International Tests Positive for Banned Substance
Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal, NADO Italia, announced on Monday that Juventus’ French midfielder, Paul Pogba, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. The test was conducted after Juventus secured a 3-0 victory in their Serie A season opener against Udinese on August 20. The detected substance, testosterone, is known for its potential to enhance athletes’ endurance.
NADO Italia released a statement confirming the provisional suspension, stating, “In acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Anti-doping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba.”
The tribunal asserted that Pogba had breached anti-doping regulations due to the presence of “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites,” emphasizing that the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.”
During the match against Udinese, Pogba, now 30 years old, was an unused substitute. Juventus has acknowledged the provisional suspension and is currently evaluating their next course of action.
If found guilty of doping, Pogba could face a suspension ranging from two to four years. The next step will be to await the results of the B Sample test, which could provide further insights into the case.
In response to the developments, Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, issued a statement reported by Italian media, saying, “We are waiting for the results of the counter-analysis and cannot say anything until then. The only certain thing is that Paul Pogba never intended to break the rules.”
Pogba’s return to Juventus following his departure from Manchester United last year has been marred by injuries, marking a challenging second spell with the Turin-based club.
