French footballer Paul Pogba faced a four-year ban from Italy's anti-doping tribunal on Thursday after testing positive for testosterone in the early weeks of this season, putting his playing career in jeopardy.
Juventus’ head cach, Max Allegri expressed his disappointment on the Frenchman’s ban calling it a “loss” for football.
"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 mentioned that he had conveyed a message of support to Pogba, who intends to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but declined to discuss the ongoing case any further.
Pogba, a midfielder for France and a World Cup winner in 2018, has scarcely played for Juventus since his return from Manchester United in 2022, mainly due to a series of injuries and the doping ban.
Pogba's representatives stated that the testosterone stemmed from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
If upheld by CAS, the ban would mean Pogba could only resume playing in the 2027/28 season, by which time he would be 34 years old.
His positive doping test occurred as he sought to move on from a challenging first season back at Juventus, during which he made just 10 appearances, and also missed France's unsuccessful defence of the World Cup in Qatar due to injury.
He made two substitute appearances for Juventus at the beginning of this season before being suspended following his initial adverse sample, which was confirmed as positive in early October.
Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing in France regarding an extortion attempt against him in March 2022, with Pogba's older brother Mathias among the suspects, along with childhood friends of the family.
Reportedly, two intruders broke into Pogba's home in the Paris suburbs, holding him against his will and demanding 13 million euros ($14.1 million at current rates).
