Pogba’s doping ban loss for football, Allegri bewails

Juventus’ manager, Massimiliano Allegri, lamented on Saturday that football has suffered a loss of a remarkable talent with Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban.

SixSports on Thursday reported that Pogba received a four-year suspension from Italy’s anti-doping tribunal for testing positive for testosterone at the start of the current season, casting doubts over his future as a football player.

Reacting to the development ahead of Juve’s Seria A match at Napoli on Sunday, Allegri said, “It’s very sad both on a human level and for football, as we are losing an extraordinary player.

“I was lucky enough to work with him, coach him, and it’s very difficult to find players like him. He’s a fantastic guy.”

Meanwhile, Pogba, in response to the ban, has declared the ruling as incorrect, stating his determination to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In the event that CAS upholds the ban, Pogba’s comeback to football would not occur until the 2027–2028 season, when he would be 34 years old.