Paul Pogba’s failed anti-doping result was confirmed after further tests in Rome.
The Juventus midfielder was initially provisionally banned by NADO (the Italian anti-doping organization) last month after failing an anti-doping test.
According to FIFA, players who commit an anti-doping rule violation can be suspended for two or four years, subject to an appeal and a reduction or suspension, depending on whether it can be proven that the violation was intentional.
NADO said testosterone not produced by the body was detected in the sample provided to Pogba after Juventus’ 3-0 win at Udinese on August 20 in their next two games against Bologna and Empoli before the International break in September.
In a statement in September, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said: “We are waiting for the B sample and can’t say anything until then. What we can say for sure is that Paul never wanted to break the rules.”
What’s happening now?
Following Pogba’s interim suspension, his ‘B sample’ was sent to the Acqua Acetosa clinic in Rome for further testing. Now that it has been confirmed that the sample was positive, Pogba is now being investigated by the anti-doping prosecutor’s office.
The France international will be questioned and his legal team can help him in his defence.
In the best case scenario, Pogba could enter into a negotiation and in return commute his expected sentence by a maximum of 50 percent. Hypothetically, this would cut the ban in half, so that in the case of a two-year suspension it could be reduced to one year.
Once the investigation is complete, the anti-doping prosecutor’s office can either dismiss the case or refer Pogba for trial to the Italian Olympic Committee’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, where his possible punishment will be decided.
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Explained – Pogba doping test: rules, test procedure, A and B samples and penalties
What is a B sample?
When players provide a sample, it is divided into two parts, labeled A and B.
If the A sample is positive for a banned substance, the B sample will be examined as a precaution, which will be the case in Pogba’s case.
The player can request a B sample examination within three days of a positive test. Once the request is made, the result of this test must be submitted within seven days.
What options does Juventus have?
Following the NADO announcement last month, Juventus said it “reserves the right to consider the next procedural steps.”
The Italian club waited for the result before deciding what to do, and with Pogba’s positive sample now confirmed, they can suspend his salary and a minimum wage of €39,000 (£33.7k, $41k) within the terms guarantee the players’ collective agreement.
Should Pogba be banned by the National Anti-Doping Tribunal, Juventus will have the right to terminate his contract, which expires in June 2026.
Have there been similar incidents before?
Traces of furosemide were found in Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana’s system during his time at Ajax.
The substance was in a pill pack that had been prescribed to Onana’s wife after she gave birth, and the goalkeeper had accidentally ingested it. UEFA accepted Onana’s version of events, but he was still given a 12-month ban, which was reduced to nine months on appeal.
In July 2022, Atalanta defender Jose Palomino tested positive for Clostebol metabolites. Palomino was unable to play for three months while he waited for a result, but was cleared of accidental infection in September.
However, NADO appealed the arbitral tribunal’s decision to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
(Photo: Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)