Footballer Paul Pogba Suspended after Testing Positive for Testosterone
Former Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba has been suspended by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) after elevated levels of testosterone were found in the midfielder's system.
If found guilty of doping, the 30-year-old, who currently plays for Juventus in Italy and the French national team, could face a ban of between two and four years.
‘Juventus Football Club announces that today, 11 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,’ said Juventus in a statement.
‘The club reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.’
'Non-endogenous testosterone metabolites' were found in Pogba's system, which Nado claim is ‘consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds’.
Pogba now has three days to produce a counter-analysis of the result to Nado.
What is Testosterone?
Testosterone is the main sex hormone for people assigned male at birth. Men with normal testosterone levels might use (and abuse) anabolic steroids, which are essentially synthetic derivatives of testosterone, in order to increase endurance levels and improve performance. However, using anabolic steroids can result in side effects, such as reduced sperm counts, baldness and even an increased risk for prostate cancer.
Meanwhile, a Mail on Sunday report from earlier this year revealed how footballers are almost never tested for the banned performance enhancing drug, testosterone, and how, in the Premier League at least, top-flight stars are subject basic drug testing as infrequently as once per season.
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