It's a heavy sentence hanging over Paul Pogba's career. A four-year ban was requested on Thursday 7 December by the Italian anti-doping prosecutor's office against the French international of Juventus Turin, who tested positive for testosterone. "I can confirm that we received this (Thursday) morning this notification from the anti-doping authority, with four years (of suspension) required," the source told AFP, confirming Italian media reports.

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This indictment is in line with the maximum penalty faced by Paul Pogba under the World Anti-Doping Code. However, such a suspension can be halved if the Frenchman demonstrates unintentionality. It can even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance has taken place "out of competition and is not related to its level of performance".

The 2018-year-old 30 World Cup winner tested positive in August, during the match between Udinese and Juventus, a match on the first day of the Italian league that he had not played.

Less than a month after his provisional suspension on September 11 by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado), Pogba learned that analysis of his B sample confirmed the presence of testosterone metabolites.

To explain this positive anti-doping test, the entourage of "La Pioche" announced in September that the testosterone metabolytes would come from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor that the player consulted in the United States.

Testosterone, the hormone of fertility and male sexuality, promotes muscle development.

With AFP

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