Juventus' Pogba received a four-year ban and this could happen with his future

The French midfielder played just two games this season in Italy.

29/02/2024, 02:07 PM +00:00

Paul Pogba is going through the worst moment of his professional career. He had been several years without showing his best level on the field, partly because of physical problems that have prevented him from playing regularly, but now he is facing a much more complicated situation that could even put an end to his life as a soccer player.

On August 20, 2023 he was substituted in a match between Juventus and Udinese in Italy's Serie A. After the final whistle he was drawn for the anti-doping control and there something unexpected happened: the result was positive for traces of testosterone. He immediately received a provisional sanction, while the facts were being investigated.

A month later Paul requested a second test, which was again positive. His lawyers had tried to reduce the sanction by arguing that there had been no intention to break the rules and that he had been unaware that he had taken the product containing the banned substance.

Since then he had been excluded from the Juventus squad and awaiting a final ruling from the Italian Anti-Doping Court. That decision was communicated this Thursday and the news is terrible for the French midfielder, as he received the harshest possible sanction for cases like this: four years of suspension.

What will happen to him?

Considering that Paul Pogba is nearing his 31st birthday, the suspension means that he will not play again until he is 34 or 35 years old, which is too old for a soccer player. That's why many believe this sanction will cause the end of his professional career. And that is not the only problem to solve, as he has a contract with Juventus until June 30, 2026 and a salary of $8.6 million net per year that the Italian side will not want to continue paying for a player who cannot play. Rumor has it that the club's chiefs will try to terminate his contract as soon as possible.