End of an era? Shock as Pogba slapped with four-year ban for failed drug test

Football was rocked on Thursday as French superstar Paul Pogba was handed a mammoth four-year ban from the sport after testing positive for a banned substance.

Pulse Sports Nigeria reports that the Juventus midfielder was initially suspended in September 2023 after traces of testosterone were found in a routine doping test conducted over the summer.

Pogba protested his innocence, claiming any consumption was accidental. However, anti-doping authorities rejected his defence and hit the 30-year-old with the maximum possible punishment.

The four-year ban rules Pogba out of playing until September 2027, signalling an inglorious end to a glittering career unless he successfully appeals.

Juve also terminated the contract Pogba only signed in July, having sensationally returned for a second spell after leaving Manchester United.

But his Turin homecoming quickly turned sour, restricted to just seven substitute appearances and blighted by injuries, before the damaging drug test revelations emerged.

It completes a staggering fall from grace for one of football's most recognisable faces, who was a key figure in France's 2018 World Cup victory.

Unless Pogba can clear his name on appeal, French football's golden boy faces four long years in the wilderness wondering what could have been.