Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned from competitive football for four years after being found guilty of drug abuse. This comes after a drug test last year after Juventus’ 2-0 win over Udinese found him guilty of having testosterone traces in his blood. The ex-Manchester United star appealed against it but has seen it refuted and will not be able to play football until 2028.
However, Paul Pogba is not the only major footballer to have been banned in their career after being found guilty of doping. Here we look at four more footballers to have also suffered this embarrassment in their careers.
Four Major Footballers Who Were Banned for Doping
Diego Maradona
Commonly known as one of the best footballers of all time, Diego Maradona had an iconic career impacted by controversies around his lifestyle. He loved to party and had several vices that the Argentine failed to get rid of.
In 1991, when playing for Napoli, Maradona was hit with a 15-month ban after testing positive for cocaine. The Argentine ended up leaving Napoli after serving out his ban, going on to play for clubs like Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys, and Boca Juniors before his retirement in 1997.
Pep Guardiola
The Manchester City manager was a brilliant, tactful midfielder in his playing career and won many major trophies with Barcelona. However, he had a torrid period after opting to play in Italian club Brescia in 2001. That ultimately turned into a nightmare for the Spaniard, who tested positive for having the banned substance nandrolone in his system and was given a four-month ban for the same.
Guardiola, however, refused to accept it mildly and tried to legally clear his name with a court case that went on for six years. Guardiola managed to clear his name in 2007 and again in 2009 when the case resurfaced.
Edgar Davids
Davids was renowned for being one of the best midfielders of his generation and a key part of the Ajax team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995. He joined Juventus, Paul Pogba’s current club, in 1998, winning three Serie A titles with them, but had to serve out a suspension period for doping.
In 2001, Davids tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone and was banned for four months. However, he pleaded his innocence for the same and told the Guardian: “I never took nandrolone. I’m always against any type of doping and I have always been loyal to sport. I have never even thought of the possibility of using any kind of doping.”
Kolo Toure
The ex-Manchester City defender, who also played for Arsenal and Liverpool, is a multi-time Premier League winner and spent 14 years playing in the league. However, in 2011, Toure was found guilty of doping while playing for the Citizens.
The Football Association (FA) struck him with a six-month ban, even though Toure later convinced them that he had taken his wife’s diet pills. Despite that, he still had to serve out the ban and endure the embarrassment that came with it.
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