Paul Pogba Could Be Banned From Football For Up To Four Years After Failing Drugs Test

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been issued with a provisional ban from football after failing a drugs test.

Pogba returned a test with elevated levels of testosterone following Juve's 3-0 win at Udinese on August 20.

The 30-year-old former Manchester United player had been an unused substitute against Udinese but was randomly selected to provide a urine sample after the game.

If he is found guilty of doping, Pogba could be banned from playing for between two and four years.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba pictured warming up before his team's 3-0 win over Udinese last month

IMAGO/IPA Sport

Juventus said in a club statement on Friday: "Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal following the results of tests carried out on August 20, 2023.

"The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps."

Italy's national anti-doping tribunal, NADO, claimed that Pogba had violated anti-doping rules after finding the prohibited substance "non-endogenous testosterone metabolites" in his system.

NADO said on Monday that the results were "consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds".

Pogba joined Juventus from Manchester United in July 2022

IMAGO/Andrew Yates

Pogba must now present his counter-analysis of the result to NADO later this week.

Testosterone is a hormone that increases endurance.

Pogba struggled with various fitness and injury issues last season, resulting in him getting just 108 minutes of game time in Serie A.

He has been capped 91 times by France at senior international level, winning the World Cup in 2018 and the UEFA Nations League in 2021.

But Pogba has not represented his country since March 2022.

Pogba won the FIFA World Cup with France in 2018

IMAGO/Sven Simon