Pogba’s doping ban loss for football, says Allegri

Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri, said Saturday that Paul Pogba’s ban for doping violations means football has lost an “extraordinary” talent.

Pogba was banned for four years by Italy’s anti-doping tribunal on Thursday after testing positive for testosterone in the early weeks of this season, putting his playing career under threat.

“It’s very sad both on a human level and for football, as we are losing an extraordinary player,” Allegri told reporters ahead of Juve’s Serie A match at Napoli on Sunday.

“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.”

Allegri added that he had sent Pogba, who will appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a message of support but would not talk any further about an ongoing case.

France midfielder Pogba, a World Cup winner in 2018, barely featured for Juve since returning from Manchester United in 2022 due to a spate of injuries and the doping ban.

Pogba’s representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.