The curious case of Paul Pogba

At the age of just 32, it’s strange to think that Paul Pogba has pretty much had an entire career play out already. The majority of central midfielders are just about hitting the peak of their powers at this point, or at the very least, they’re cemented in a team that allows them to flourish and thrive at the elite level. Unfortunately, for the Frenchman, things haven’t quite worked out that way.

While he managed to make a name for himself at Manchester United, before really making a name for himself with Juventus and the French national team, the memories of his incredible contributions in his nation’s World Cup winning campaign have become something of a distant memory. When he eventually returned to Old Trafford, he just didn’t seem to have the same spark that he once did.

The Red Devils weren’t exactly in a position to thrive when he was there, but in addition, it just seemed as if Pogba wasn’t at the races. Whether it be due to a lack of passion for the game, or purely because he started his career at such a young age that he was beginning to lose a bit of his magic, something felt a bit off.

When he eventually made his way back to Juventus, the problems only seemed to mount from there. He suffered a knee injury that took him out for two months, he returned to the squad and looked average at best, and then he was disciplined for being late to a team dinner. From there, he suffered a muscle injury in training, and was subbed off in his return game after less than 30 minutes.

After playing just 161 minutes for his new team, he was ruled out for the rest of the season – but that’s where things go from bad to worse.

Pogba’s doping issues

Back in September 2023, Paul Pogba was provisionally suspended after failing a drug test with non-endogenous testosterone found in his system. After another test, it was confirmed to be a failure, resulting in a four-year ban that was eventually reduced to 18 months. He is currently eligible to begin training and playing again, but after being released from Juve, questions are mounting regarding if and when a team will take a chance on him.

There are some folks out there who won’t think it’s too big of a deal and will perhaps be looking for the best mk677 brand themselves. Alas, this is elite level sport we’re talking about here, and one of the biggest names in the game at the time. This has been a monumental drop-off for someone who has always been seen as something of a generational talent, and we can’t help but have endless questions about why he went down this road.

Perhaps he was just unlucky and there are many others out there who also would’ve failed a similar test. Regardless, though, it’s a problem that will continue to follow him round and be part of his story for the remainder of his career, and we’re interested to see if he can bounce back from it.