Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Pogba, has been handed a four-year ban from football for doping. The Juventus player, who has not appeared in a match since September last year, tested positive for DHEA, a prohibited substance that enhances testosterone levels. Pogba, who will turn 31 in March, has consistently maintained that the ingestion of the banned substance was unintentional, claiming it was due to a supplement he unknowingly consumed.
Despite efforts by Pogba’s legal team to negotiate a lighter penalty, the National Anti-Doping Tribunal has imposed the maximum punishment. DHEA is classified as an anabolic androgenic steroid, and Pogba’s lawyers highlighted previous cases where athletes unwittingly ingested the substance through supplements. However, the tribunal rejected this defence.
Pogba’s suspension will last until August 2027, when he will be just short of his 34th birthday. He plans to appeal the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but his current club, Juventus, is reportedly considering terminating his contract. With his career in jeopardy, Pogba’s future hangs in the balance as he fights to clear his name and revive his footballing prospects.
