Italian anti-doping authorities informed AFP on Monday that midfielder Paul Pogba of Juventus and France had been provisionally suspended after a doping control revealed the presence of the banned substance testosterone.
According to a statement released by NADO to AFP, “the National Anti-doping Tribunal informs that, in acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Antidoping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba.”
According to NADO, the presence of “prohibited substance detected: Non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” is indicative of a doping violation.
The 30-year-old was a substitute in the opening game of the Italian Serie A season on August 20, a 3-0 win against Udinese, and a drug test was reportedly administered before the game.
If the ‘B’ sample likewise tests positive for testosterone, Pogba could be banned for four years, as was the case with the ‘A’ sample.
Pogba was a key player for France during their 2018 World Cup victory, but he suffered through an injury-riddled and blackmail-marred 2022-2023 season.