Juventus’ Paul Pogba set for hearing in doping case in January

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is set to undergo a hearing as part of the doping case in January.

Yesterday, the doping prosecutors had asked for a four-year-long ban on Pogba, who has previously tested positive for doping and has already been suspended by Juventus.

La Gazzetta dello Sport today have provided some more details about the situation, answering several questions about where the case currently stands. 

Yesterday, it was reported that Pogba was yet to seek a plea bargain to reduce a potential sentence and Gazzetta today explore the potential reasons why. In 2018, then Cagliari striker Joao Pedro had tested positive for doping and even his lawyers hadn’t gone ahead with a plea bargain. Instead, the player assumed responsibility and the ban was reduced to six months.

In Pogba’s case, the hearing takes place in the second half of January and it could be possible that the midfielder’s lawyers will try to demonstrate an absence of intent on the player’s part to consume the banned substance, which was administred to him by a doctor friend. Or otherwise, they could try to convince the judge of some extenuating circumstances that could lead to the arrival of scientific experts in the courtroom. The objective is to reduce the ban to two years.

Pogba’s team could yet appeal to the CAS, as the anti-doping code allows for a single hearing. But NADO and WADA Italia would have to approve that and as of now, Pogba hasn’t requested this appeal.

Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN