Juventus manager Allegri offers solid support to Paul Pogba after four-year football ban

Paul Pogba, the 2018 World Cup winner, tested positive for testosterone after a match with Juventus in August 2023.

March 2, 2024

Allegri Sends Sympathetic Message To Paul Pogba — Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

The 2018 World Cup champion tested positive for testosterone subsequent to Juventus’ match against Udinese on August 20, 2023. Pogba faced further distress as his secondary test, the ‘B’ sample, also yielded positive results. Despite this setback, Allegri has expressed steadfast support for the beleaguered player.

Addressing reporters before Sunday’s fixture against Napoli, Allegri remarked, “I wrote him a message two days ago. On a human level, I’m very sorry, but also from a footballing point of view. This sport is losing an extraordinary and difficult-to-find player who I had the pleasure of coaching. On top of that, Paul is also a very good person.”

In a demonstration of solidarity, Didier Deschamps, the manager of the French national team, has also stood by Pogba, affirming his belief in the player’s innocence.

“I don’t imagine for a single moment that Paul had the intention, the desire, to take drugs. Knowing him well, I know that this is not at all in his state of mind,” Deschamps stated.

“Just like the judgement announced by the Italian anti-doping tribunal on Thursday, what Paul has experienced these past months has been extremely difficult and I can’t be insensitive to his pain, given what he has done with the national team and the relationships that have been formed with the France national team. His situation saddens me and I really hope that things will work out… The presence of an illegal hormone is incontestable.”

Pogba and his representatives refuted the accusations, presenting their defense to Mr. Pierfilippo Laviani, the investigator overseeing the case. Regrettably, they failed to demonstrate that the 31-year-old was unaware of the substances he had consumed. Consequently, the National Anti-Doping Tribunal imposed a four-year ban on the player, following the recommendation of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office.

Pogba has declared his intention to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, underscoring his resolve to clear his name and rehabilitate his tarnished reputation. However, the outcome of the appeal remains uncertain, casting a shadow over Pogba’s future. He remains under contract with Bianconeri until 2025, and it remains to be seen if the agreement will be terminated.