Very bad news for Paul Pogba. Testing positive for testosterone on August 20, during the Juventus Turin and Udinese meeting, the French midfielder requested a second opinion. The results of sample B came out this Friday… and they are, according to sources in Italy, also positive. Its suspension, taken as a precautionary measure, should thus be confirmed.
The 2018 world champion could be suspended for four years. This sanction could be reduced by half if he manages to demonstrate that he did not intend to improve “his level of performance”. As a reminder, after his positive test, Rafaela Pimenta, his agent, spoke in his defense: “We are waiting for the counter-analyses and we cannot have an opinion before the results. What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she said.
Also read: His career in blue, his ambitions, depression… Paul Pogba’s confidences in Le Figaro
An investigation should be opened quickly via the Italian anti-doping agency (NADO). The player, very popular with the Blues, could say goodbye to his professional career. If he cannot prove the unintentionality of his action, the sanction of four suspensions would put an end to his career as a footballer. At 30, the Turinese could also see his contract be definitively terminated by his club Juventus. The institution should communicate quickly given the significant salary received by Pogba (8 million euros, 2 bonuses, per year).
In the “positive” case where he manages to prove his non-intentionality, the sanction could be reduced to two years. But between the injuries, his extortion affair and this future suspension, it is difficult to imagine Paul Pogba returning to the field within two years. Privately, the player would be convinced of this. A long fight begins for the world champion.
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