France's national team coach, Didier Deschamps, and Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman have come to the defense of Juventus star Paul Pogba following his failed drug test, reported by GOAL.
Pogba has been provisionally suspended by the Italian anti-doping authority after testing positive for testosterone, a hormone known to enhance endurance in athletes. If found guilty, the 30-year-old midfielder could face a football ban of up to four years. Pogba has until later this week to provide a counter-analysis of the test result, as reported by Italian sources.
Deschamps, who has worked with Pogba since assuming the role of Les Bleus manager in 2012, expressed doubt that Pogba would intentionally commit such an offense. He stated, “I can't imagine that, knowing him, with everything that is in his head. I still remember certain discussions with him on the vaccine and Covid… The substance is there, but unless there is a second opinion… I don't think he himself knows [why] unfortunately. It's hard for him. I have always supported him.”
Bayern Munich's Coman, who has played alongside Pogba for the French national team for years, also vouched for Pogba's innocence. Coman said, “We all support Paul; he's a very close friend, he's part of the family. We don't really know more; we'll have to look. But we know Paul, and we know that if something happened, it was surely unconsciously, without intention. We are with him wholeheartedly.”
Pogba's return to Juventus in 2022 has been fraught with challenges. The 2018 World Cup winner faced knee and hamstring injuries, and he alleged that he was almost driven to quit football after being targeted by an organized crime gang.
As Paul Pogba awaits the outcome of the ongoing investigation, the support of his national team coach and fellow players serves as a show of solidarity during a challenging period in his career.
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