Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba faces a lengthy suspension after his B sample confirmed a positive doping test last month.
The French star was provisionally suspended in September after elevated levels of testosterone were detected in a random drug test following Juve’s 3-0 win against Udinese. Pogba did not play in that match.
Italy’s national anti-doping agency Nado stated at the time that the results were “consistent with exogenous origin” of the banned substance. Testosterone boosts athletes’ endurance.
If found guilty of doping, the 30-year-old Pogba could receive a ban of two to four years. His agent Rafaela Pimenta insisted earlier that Pogba never intended to break any rules.
This latest revelation deals another blow to Pogba’s troubled return to Juventus this season after running down his contract with Manchester United. Persistent injuries have restricted him to just 51 minutes off the bench in Serie A.
The doping case also ruled Pogba out of France’s World Cup squad last year. Juventus re-signed the midfielder to a four-year contract in July, but he has managed just 12 total appearances since then.
With the B sample now verifying the adverse test result, Pogba’s future at Juve and his international career hang in the balance pending a full investigation. The club has not yet commented on the developments.
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