Since Paul Pogba returned to Juventus from Manchester United for a second time in the summer of 2022, the Frenchman has not had an easy time. Now he’s added a positive doping test to the mix.
The 30-year-old midfielder has been provisionally suspended following a positive doping test. The Italian anti-doping agency confirmed to AFP news agency that Paul Pogba was found to have too high a testosterone level.
Meanwhile, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said they were now waiting for the B sample and could not comment further until then. “What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break any rule,” Pimenta said in a letter, according to AFP.
According to Italian media, the test was allegedly taken at the first Serie A game of the new season, when Juventus won 3-0 at Udine – and without any help from the 2018 world champion. The French veteran was in the squad but did not play a minute.
Pogba has had a difficult year in Turin, with the 2018 World Cup winner making just six league appearances in pre-season due to knee surgery and other injuries, and three further short appearances in the Europa League. Pogba’s injury woes also saw him miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when France lost to Argentina in the final.
In the current season, Pogba has been substituted on Matchday 2 and Matchday 3 (1-1 against Bologna and 2-0 at Empoli) of Serie A. Juve next play Lazio Roma on Saturday and Sassuolo the following week (23 September, 6pm).
There are no European Cup matches scheduled for the Italian record champions this season after a lengthy back-and-forth and ultimately a ten-point deduction for falsifying their record, along with a subsequent UEFA ban for the Europa Conference League.