Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Ethan Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP 19:16 p.m., September 14, 2023

Provisionally suspended by the Italian anti-doping agency for having tested positive for testosterone on August 20, Paul Pogba has requested a second opinion. His club, Juventus, also cancelled the payment of his salary. If doping is proven, the Habs face up to four years of suspension.

Juventus Turin's French international Paul Pogba, provisionally suspended after testing positive for testosterone, has asked for a second opinion, a source with knowledge of the case told AFP on Thursday. The Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) notified Paul Pogba on Monday of his positive test and he had five working days to request the opening of his B sample.

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Provisionally suspended

According to the Italian press, the result of the second opinion should be known on 20 September. Paul Pogba, 30 years old (91 caps), was checked on August 20 after the match between Udinese and Juventus, counting for the first day of the Italian Championship, during which he did not play. When he announced his positive test, he was provisionally suspended by Nado. He can no longer train with Juventus Turin, a club he returned to in July 2022 after six seasons at Manchester United. The Piedmontese club has also suspended the payment of his salary.

The midfielder is liable to a four-year suspension which could however be halved if he manages to demonstrate unintentionality, or even limit to a few months if the use of the substance took place "out of competition and is not related to his level of performance". The testosterone metabolites, identified in his urine sample, would come from the use of a dietary supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States. Testosterone, the hormone of fertility and male sexuality, promotes muscle development.

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Pogba has had a nightmarish 2022-23 season on and off the pitch. He collected injuries, which limited the number of matches played during this exercise to ten and deprived him of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The 2018 world champion was also the victim of an organized extortion attempt in which one of his brothers, Mathias, is implicated. On August 27, Pogba, whose last match was on May 14, made his return to competition during the draw of his team at home against Bologna (1-1) in the Italian Championship.