Paul Pogba banned from football for four years after ex-Manchester United star failed drugs test
29 February 2024, 14:16
Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years after failing a drugs test.
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The Juventus and France midfielder had been suspended for the doping offence in September after officials found testosterone in his system.
The former Manchester United star, 30, had been randomly selected for a drugs test after an Italian league match in August.
The ban has been backdated to the original suspension, meaning that Pogba is banned until 2027, when he will be 33.
Pogba is likely to appeal the ban, and is said to have taken the substance inadvertently. His agent Rafaela Pimenta said at the time of the original test result that "what is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule."
Testosterone occurs naturally but Italian doping officials said that the test suggested that the testosterone found in Pogba's sample was from an external source.
Read more: Former Manchester United star Paul Pogba faces lengthy ban after failing drugs test
World Cup winner Pogba has endured a difficult few years, with injuries and serious problems in his personal life.
Pogba said last year that he was tempted to quit football altogether after allegedly being blackmailed by a group of gangsters in his native France, who were said to have included his brother.
Former Guinea international Mathias Pogba, 32, was arrested in September 2022 over his alleged involvement in the plot, which his brother said involved an attempt to extort him of €13 million (about £11 million).
Pogba played 226 times for Manchester United over six seasons, winning the Europa League and the League Cup.
He has played 91 times for France, winning the World Cup in Russia in 2018, even scoring a goal in the final.Pogba rejoined Juventus in 2022, having first played with the Italian side from 2012-2016.
But his second spell at Juventus has proved less successful so far, with the drugs test proving the latest setback after an injury-hit first season.
He has played just 51 minutes this season over two appearances. Last season he played ten times.
