Juventus set to terminate Paul Pogba's contract as the ex-Manchester United star receives 4-year ban for doping: Reports

Juventus are set to terminate former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba's contract after he received a four-year ban for doping, as per Sky Sports (via SPORTbilbe).

Pogba returned to his current employers in 2022 after spending six years at Old Trafford. Following his reunion at Juventus, Pogba initially tested positive for DHEA, a substance that increases athlete performance, after a match against Udinese on August 20, 2023.

Later, the player was provisionally suspended in September, with the midfielder adamant for a counter-analysis on the test. However, this sample returned with a positive result, after which anti-doping prosecutors in Italy requested a four-year ban.

Following the decision from Italy's National Anti-Doping Tribunal, the aforementioned report claims that Pogba and company will appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport. It is stated that bans of this nature could be reduced if proven that the result of such contamination was not intentional.

Should the ban stand, it could be the end of the 30-year-old's football career. He's made 190 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, bagging 34 goals and 41 assists.

While at Manchester United, the midfielder played 233 games in all competitions, scoring 39 goals and providing 51 assists. He's won the Serie A title on four occasions and the Europa League once, among other honors in his club career.

---

When Paul Pogba was left dejected after positive doping test

Paul Pogba

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba sent a strong message to the football universe after he tested positive for excess non-endogenous testosterone metabolites in September last year.

Pogba has also had his fair share of critics on the pitch, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher calling him 'the most overrated player' he's seen in his life.

Speaking in September, the Frenchman said (via The Guardian):

"I don’t want to have money any more. I just don’t want to play any more. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me – not for the fame, not for the money. Sometimes it’s tough."

"Football is very beautiful, but it’s cruel. People can forget you. You can do something great – the next day, you’re nobody."

Pogba is also a World Cup winner with France in 2018. Overall, he's made 91 appearances across competitions for his nation, bagging 11 goals and nine assists.