2024-02-29 22:16:25
In a parallel world, Frenchman Paul Pogba had to follow the path of football legends. A remarkable talent appeared in the English academy of Manchester United and exploded with the Italian club Juventus, subsequently heralding the birth of a promising football phenomenon. A comprehensive combination of physical strength and skills made “Pogbaum” crowned the Golden Boy Award in 2013. Pogba remained with “Juventus” from 2012 to 2016, and during these years he won a series of titles, including 4 consecutive crowns in the Italian League. However, the golden boy wanted a new challenge, so he returned to the “Theater of Dreams” in the hope of fulfilling a dream that was not completed when he was young.
Manchester bet on the average French field, and Pogba quickly proved the bet by leading the team to win the European League Championship (2016-2017) and the English Professional League Cup.
Two titles in the first season heralded a promising career for Pogba, but what happened was different. Numerous injuries suffered by the French player throughout his time at Old Trafford (from 2016 to 2022), which prevented him from living up to his aspirations. The matter was accompanied by some personal problems, most notably with Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, who kept him out of the squad for a period.
Against this backdrop, Pogba was “lost” in Manchester. The player then decided to go to another club, hoping to regain his sparkle, so he returned to Juventus again. In Turin, he hoped to retrieve something from his past, on the lands that previously showed the best version of him, but the specter of injuries kept him away from most of the 2022-2023 benefits. When Pogba noticed a noticeable improvement in fitness, he failed the doping test he underwent after a match between Juventus and its host Udinese on August 20.
Pogba announced that he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
In that match, Pogba remained on the bench. He did not participate against Udinese. However, he was randomly selected to undergo a test that turned his career upside down.
Anti-doping rules exist within football – and the sport in general – to ensure that no one gains an unfair competitive advantage and to protect player health. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sets rules that are followed by most sporting organizations around the world. The agency has a list of prohibited substances and methods (updated regularly) that athletes are only allowed to use if they have a legitimate medical reason, at which point they are granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
Tests are run randomly and at different times, meaning players are given no warning about them. If the player fails, refuses to submit the sample, evades the test, or tampers with it, this is considered a violation of the anti-doping rules, which requires the player to be punished, just as happened in 2003 with the Englishman Rio Ferdinand.
The defender missed the drug test he was supposed to attend at Manchester United’s training ground. Therefore, an independent court found Ferdinand guilty of misconduct, and he was suspended for eight months (he was unable to represent the England national team in the 2004 European Championship).
In Pogba’s case, testosterone, which the body does not produce, was detected in the sample provided after the Udinese match. Testosterone affects the body in many different ways including regulating bone mass, fat distribution, and muscle mass and strength. For this reason, it is prohibited to consume additional quantities of it.
After the result appeared, the Italian Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) announced that the player had been temporarily suspended since September 11, and Pogba’s “B” sample was examined as a precautionary measure to ensure that the result of the first examination was not wrong.
For their part, those close to the player reported that testosterone comes from a nutritional supplement prescribed by a consultant doctor to Pogba in the United States, but after investigation and completion of evidence, the Italian Anti-Doping Court, yesterday, Thursday, applied the maximum penalty stipulated in the World Anti-Doping Law, and suspended Pogba. For four years.
A penalty that theoretically ended the career of the “Golden Boy,” unless the court returns its decision.
Pogba announced on his Instagram account that he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where the Frenchman wrote: “Today I was informed of the court’s decision and I see that the decision is not fair. I am sad and heartbroken because everything I built during my career as a professional player was taken from me.” ». Then the 31-year-old continued: “When I am free from legal restrictions, the whole story will become clear, but I did not take any substance intentionally or with the intention of violating anti-doping laws.” He added: “As a professional athlete, I will never do anything to improve my performance using banned substances, and I have never disrespected or cheated my fellow athletes and fans in the clubs I played for, or against. “As a result of today’s decision, I will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The French player must now defend himself and convince the judges that he did not intentionally take any banned substances. If he succeeds in this, he may be able to revive his career again, and if he does not succeed, Pogba will forcibly close a major chapter of a career that did not live up to the promises of the beginning.
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