DOPING: Paul Pogba Temporarily Suspended after Drug Tests

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Pogba
Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder. Courtesy photo

Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder has temporarily been suspended from playing after he tested high levels of testosterone in his system.

According to Italy’s National Anti-doping Tribunal (NADO), Pogba was tested after the Juve’s 3-0 win at Udinese on 20 August and this came after a random selection was made after the match.

In the statement released on Monday, September 11, 2023, by the Juventus football club, the 30-year-old France international received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Tribunal.

“Juventus Football Club announces that today, 11th September 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 20 August 2023,” the statement read in part.

NADO said that, Pogba had failed to observe the anti-doping rules when it found prohibited substances like non-endogenous testosterone metabolites and consistent results with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.

According to NADO, testosterone is a hormone that increases the endurance of athletes.

However, Pogba has three days to produce an analysis to disapprove the results established by NADO.

According to the Anti-doping penal code, If found guilty of doping, Pogba could face a ban of between two and four years.