French international from Juventus Turin Paul Pogba, who tested positive for testosterone in August, will appear on January 18 before the Italian anti-doping court, the Italian press reported on Tuesday.
According to, among others, the Gazzetta dello Sport and the website of the Sky Sport television channel, the hearing, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time, will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. Contacted by AFP, the Italian anti-doping court has so far not responded, while Paul Pogba’s entourage did not wish to react.
The sanction can be limited to a few months
Last week, the Italian anti-doping prosecution requested a four-year ban against the 2018 world champion, in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code. This suspension can, however, be reduced by half if the Frenchman demonstrates non-intentionality. It can even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “outside competition and is not linked to their level of performance”.
Pogba, 30, tested positive last August, during the match between Udinese and Juventus, counting for the first day of the Italian Championship, in which he did not participate. The midfielder, whose 2022-23 season was disrupted by injuries and extra-sporting problems, was provisionally suspended on September 11, before the second opinion he had requested confirmed less than one month later the presence of testosterone metabolites.
To explain this positive anti-doping test, those around “La Pioche” had indicated that the testosterone metabolites 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.
