On the evening of February 29th, Italian media simultaneously reported that midfielder Paul Pogba had been banned from playing for four years due to doping, effectively putting an end to his career. According to La Repubblica, the 2018 World Cup champion tested positive for testosterone after the opening match of the 2023/24 Serie A season between Juventus and Udinese.

At that time, Pogba’s lawyer decided not to plead guilty and hoped that his client would receive a lighter sentence, as they believed he had unintentionally ingested a substance that resulted in the positive test.

However, the prosecution did not believe Pogba’s defense and he has now received a ban from playing, which could effectively end his career. It is understood that Paul Pogba has not given up hope of reducing his sentence. The 1993-born midfielder is preparing to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In the event that the appeal is unsuccessful, Pogba can only return to the field when he is 35 years old, which essentially means that his professional career is almost over. Having come through the ranks of Manchester United’s youth academy, Paul Pogba left Old Trafford to join Juventus in search of development opportunities. After four years with the Italian club, the French midfielder made remarkable progress and became one of the best midfielders in the world.

In 2016, Manchester United shocked the football world by splashing out €105 million to bring Paul Pogba back to his former home, making him the most expensive signing at that time. However, he once again bid farewell to Old Trafford after six years to rejoin Juventus, following a period of heavy criticism for his attitude and unprofessional lifestyle. It seemed that Turin would be the place where Pogba could regain his peak years, but he suffered an injury and missed a significant portion of the 2022/23 season.

And the following season marked the official downfall of his career. Testing positive for doping and receiving a four-year ban, Pogba paid a hefty price for a player who was once the most expensive in the world.