French and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has allegedly been banned for four years for a doping offence earlier this season, according to reports from Italian media on February 29. Sky Sport Italy and La Repubblica stated that the sports prosecutor’s request for a four-year ban was granted.
Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (NADO Italia) in September after testing positive for testosterone, a banned substance. The positive test occurred after Juventus’ 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on August 20, where Pogba was an unused substitute. The subsequent counter-analysis in October confirmed the presence of testosterone, a hormone known to enhance endurance in athletes.
Juventus has not provided an official comment, but a source confirmed that the club had been notified about the reported four-year ban and would assess the next steps. Reuters has reached out to Paul Pogba’s representatives for comment.
This development adds another layer of challenges to Pogba’s second spell with Juventus, marked by injuries since his return to the Turin-based club from Manchester United in 2022. The 2018 World Cup winner faced significant setbacks, including knee and hamstring injuries, as well as knee surgery, preventing his participation in the World Cup in Qatar.
