Italian club Juventus announced that midfielder Paul Pogba had been temporarily suspended from playing due to a doping violation.
Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (NADO) said Pogba returned the test with elevated testosterone levels after Juventus’ 3-0 win over Udinese on August 20.
French international Pogba, 30, was an unused substitute but was randomly selected for a drug test after the match.
If he is found guilty of doping, he may face a ban for a period of between two and four years.
Juventus said in a statement: “Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, footballer Paul Labelle Pogba has received a precautionary suspension order from the National Anti-Doping Court following the results of tests conducted on August 20, 2023.”
“The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”
Nadeau said Pogba breached anti-doping rules when they found the banned substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.”
Testosterone is a hormone that increases endurance in athletes.
Pogba has three days to provide a counter-analysis to Nado of the result.
Juventus He re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal In July 2022, after the player terminated his contract with Manchester United and left as a free agent.
However, Pogba’s return to Turin has been plagued by persistent injury problems that have also seen him suffer He missed the World Cup last year in Qatar.
Pogba has played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in matches between Bologna and Empoli.
Last season, he managed 108 minutes across six Serie A matches, three short caps and one assist in the Europa League, and 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia – a total of 162 minutes and no goals.
Pogba’s injury problems resurfaced recently, as Juventus coach Massimo Allegri said that the player suffered a minor back problem after his appearance against Empoli.
