Anti-doping prosecutors in Italy have requested a maximum four-year ban for Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba after the World Cup winner tested positive for testosterone.
Pogba opted not to make a plea bargain with Italy’s anti-doping agency, meaning the case will be tried before the country’s anti-doping court. At the age of 30, a four-year ban could end Pogba’s career.
Four-year bans are standard under the World Anti-Doping Code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was unintentional, if the positive test was a result of contamination or if they provide ‘substantial assistance’ to help investigators.
Pogba’s positive test was announced in September, stemming from an exam that was carried out after Juventus’ game at Udinese on August 20 this year. The France international did not play in the Serie A match but was on Juve’s bench.
The midfielder asked for counter-analysis to be made on his positive doping test but those results also returned a positive result.
It emerged that DHEA was the substance discovered in both samples, which helps the body produce other hormones, such as testosterone.