Nemanja Matic, who played for Chelsea from 2017 to 2022, said in a recent interview that “when I was playing for Chelsea, the players acted professionally and were punctual. I was never late for training. However, there were some players who were late for training every day at Manchester United. There were some other players including Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho.”
“The players who were on time for the training were very angry. I was also angry and formed an internal disciplinary committee, and I became the chairman. I put paper on the wall and wrote down the names of the players who were late for the training. In some seasons, the fine alone was 75,000 pounds (about 124.45 million won). We tried to use that money to throw a party in London, but it was canceled due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.”
Of course, the team showed poor performance at Manchester United, but the situation was different for the French national team. He commanded the world with Antoine Griezmann and N’Golo Kante at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He revitalized the French national team’s midfield with one assist in the first group match against Australia, and played full-time except for the third group match (Denmark).
It was the same in the knockout stage. Starting with the match against Argentina, where Kylian Mbappe was active, he played full-time until the final against Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia. In the match against Croatia, he scored his team’s third goal in the second half, adding wings to France’s 4-2 victory and embracing the World Cup.
He maintained top-class skills and simple performance in the French national team, but not when he returned to his team. After leaving Manchester United, attention was paid to whether he would be able to fly to Juventus, where he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or at the World Best, once again.
However, the Juventus F.C. focused on recovering from injury. As he joined the club with a transfer fee of zero won, he did not spend much money but spent a steady amount of money a week. Pogba has been forced to undergo long recovery training only on the operating table due to knee injury since his return to Juventus F.C. 경마
As the recovery period got longer and longer, the team was further away from the main players’ performance. Even after his recovery, he was criticized by the public when he became known to have skied during the season. He played in Serie A from time to time and also entered the UEFA Champions League, but his performance was not as top-class as before.
He was improving his sense of play by playing as a substitute through the third round of Serie A in Italy in the 2023-24 season, but suffered a muscle injury again. Meanwhile, the scandal over the use of banned substances broke out and it reached its peak.
British public broadcaster BBC reported, “The Italian Anti-Doping Commission has announced Pogba’s use of banned substances. Increased levels of testosterone have been detected in doping. Testosterone is a hormone that increases endurance. If Pogba admits doping charges, he will not be able to run for at least two to four years.”
“We’re waiting for the second sample. No comment can be made until the result is confirmed. Pogba had no intention of breaking the doping code. This is as certain as this,” Pogba countered.
However, after the first test, Pogba came out positive in the second test. Although Pogba’s agent pleaded not guilty to doping, he ended up crossing a river that he could not cross. According to Italian news agency Tutto Sport, Pogba has been confirmed to have tested positive for dihydroepiandrosterone (Dhea). The drug is steroids, which prevent aging and strengthen muscles.
European soccer media Daily Sports reported that Pogba’s soccer career is over. The media reported, “Pogba faces a long-term ban. He may be done with football.” The Italian Anti-Doping Commission has requested maximum disciplinary action against Pogba (four years). Pogba is under contract with Juventus until 2026.
Pogba is temporarily suspended after testing positive for banned substances through the second test. Juventus is reluctant to give Pogba, who cannot play, a weekly wage. “Juventus is preparing to terminate the contract through negotiations with Pogba,” Italian Football Italia said. “If we fail to reach an agreement, we are considering terminating the contract using doping regulations.”
“For a 30-year-old athlete, a four-year ban is effectively equivalent to retirement,” said Italian Corriere dello Sport. It was the request of an anti-doping committee. If you ask whether Pogba tried to improve his performance and quality at Juventus, it is not. Juventus had a long and difficult time reorganizing its midfielder line. Pogba did not have any impact on this, nor did he compete. If he took banned drugs to compete for Juventus, a four-year ban would be more justified.”
Pogba tries to prove his innocence, but it is not easy because he has tested positive twice. Juventus is trying to finish the release process quickly as soon as the story is settled with Pogba. The Italian Anti-Doping Commission is strongly requesting a four-year disciplinary action. Local officials seem to be confirming a four-year disciplinary action.