Serious trouble for Paul Pogba! Midfielder faces Juventus contract termination if testosterone doping ban is upheld as he 'admits' taking substance to club doctors

Posted Thursday, September 14, 2023 by Goal.com

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is facing a serious threat to his career after he was provisionally suspended for testing positive for testosterone.

The World Cup winner is suspended pending the outcome of a second test of the sample provided after Juventus' win against Udinese last month.

Unnatural testosterone was found in the sample provided by Pogba - who was randomly selected for testing despite being an unused substitute in the game. With a 'B' sample expected to confirm the findings, Gazzetta dello Sport report that Pogba will argue that he unwittingly consumed a supplement containing the banned substance after sourcing a dietary supplement via a doctor based in Miami.

The midfielder hopes that admitting fault while arguing that he was unaware that the supplements contained a banned substance may mitigate a forthcoming ban - which could be anything up to four years.

With Pogba reportedly admitting to club doctors that he had taken a substance that they had not signed off, Juventus are reportedly considering terminating the midfielder's €10 million-per-year (£9m/$11m) contract - which runs to the summer of 2026 - in the event of a lengthy ban.

It's been an unhappy return to Turin for the 30-year-old, who featured for just 113 minutes in Serie A last season after arriving as a free agent from Manchester United. Even when fit there were issues, with manager Massimiliano Allegri dropping Pogba for disciplinary matters in March.