The 30-year-old midfielder, world champion in 2018, was suspended for four years by the Italian anti-doping court on Thursday.
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A massive blow for Paul Pogba. The Juventus and France team midfielder was suspended for four years by the Italian anti-doping court on Thursday February 29. This sanction follows a positive test for testosterone on August 20 on the sidelines of a championship match, for which the 30-year-old had been provisionally suspended since mid-September. From the consequences for his career on the field to the aftermath of the affair, franceinfo: sport takes stock of the questions that now arise.
Can he still play?
Suspended by the Italian national anti-doping court, Paul Pogba will not be able to return to the field, neither in the Boot, nor elsewhere. “In general, sanctions for doping extend to all competitions: it is the license which is suspended and which prevents the athlete from participating in all competitionsexplains Julie Gliksman, lawyer in criminal law and sports law at the Versailles bar. They are severe and strict because the deterrent effect is sought.”
“The sanction will be global in spirit, since the standards which are adopted are on the basis of a UNESCO convention dating from 2005 and the adoption of the world anti-doping code”, agrees Bruno Valente, lawyer specializing in sports law. In the world of football, the global anti-doping code was notably signed by Fifa.
With this distance from the field, Pogba’s contract with Juventus, which runs until 2025, risks being called into question. “For the moment, they had excluded him from the training camps and had reduced his remuneration to the union minimum. Now, the question will arise of the resolution of his contract, what they can ask for in view of the sanction pronounced , on the basis of collective agreements which concern football players, companies and Serie A”indicates Bruno Valente.
What are its possible actions?
The decision of the Italian anti-doping court is not final and Paul Pogba has one avenue of appeal: appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “For athletes who have an international profile, we have a specific provision of the code which refers to the CAS”, explains Bruno Valente. The appeal deadlines are rather “fast”estimates the lawyer, without us yet being able to imagine a precise timetable.
This appeal is also not suspensive. “In any case, he was already provisionally suspended. Even if there is an appeal, the measure will remain active, he will remain away from the field”recalls Bruno Valente. In a message shared on his Instagram account, Paul Pogba announced his intention to appeal to the CAS.
Can he see his sanction reduced?
During this appeal, the entire matter will be litigated again and possible new elements could be brought to the file. But the sanction cannot be reduced if the CAS considers that doping has been proven. “The four-year scale is the sanction incurred when doping is proven”recalls Julie Gliksman. “If the defense fails to show the absence of will to doping, the sanction will be maintained. To escape it is to demonstrate the absence of will.”
Paul Pogba could have benefited from a reduction in sanctions if he had chosen to negotiate. “We must keep in mind that they had refused to negotiate with the Italian National Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office, which might have allowed them to have a lesser sanction, since when you negotiate and you admit your guilt, you are reduced your sentence, often half”explains Bruno Valente.