This is a clear observation. But that says a lot about the sad situation of Paul Pogba, who learned this week that the second opinion he had requested after his positive doping test in August confirmed the presence of testosterone. “Football loses an extraordinary player who was different from all the others,” judged Juventus Turin coach Massimiliano Allegri on Saturday after his team’s victory in the Turin derby against Torino (2-0).
At 30 years old, the 2018 world champion is liable under the World Anti-Doping Code to a four-year suspension. But “la Pioche”, who must communicate his defense to the National Anti-Doping Tribunal this week, should try to demonstrate the non-intentionality of the catch. Shortly after the revelation of this positive test, the player’s entourage had in fact made it known that these testosterone metabolites came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor consulted in the United States.
On a psychological level it must not be easy for him
Massimiliano Allegri, who said he was “sorry for Paul” on Friday, did not hide being touched by his player’s situation. “On a human level, this displeases me a lot, because I am close to the boy,” he admitted. The Bianconeri technician now wants to wait to see how the international midfielder (91 caps) will fare in court but is also worried about him. “Let’s wait for the sanction, underlined the Italian coach. This saddens us all, we hope the best for him, because on a psychological level it must not be easy for him”.
It is indeed another hard blow for Paul Pogba. For months now, the environment has been accumulating problems. Due to physical problems and in particular an injury to the meniscus of his right knee, he missed the 2022 World Cup and last season only made ten appearances in the Juve jersey. And away from the field, he suffered a case of attempted extortion by an organized gang, with one of his brothers involved.
This positive test places him in an even more complicated situation. Since the revelation of this test, Pogba no longer has access to the Juve training center. And while he was with eight million euros per year the highest salary of the Piedmont workforce, the club stopped paying him this salary provided for in his contract which expires in 2026. It will now pay him the minimum salary provided for by the collective agreement for Italian professional players which is 42,500 euros per year.
2023-10-07 21:53:00
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