After receiving a four-year doping ban, Rio Ferdinand has contacted Paul Pogba, his former Manchester United teammate, to offer some guidance.
After testing positive for DHEA, a prohibited substance that increases testosterone, back in September, Pogba learned of his ban on February 29. The 30-year-old midfielder for Juventus has stated that consuming any illegal substance was never done on purpose and that it was accidentally consumed through a supplement.
Mirror notes the National Anti-Doping Tribunal decided to punish Pogba to the greatest extent possible after his defense failed. Since then, he has declared that he will file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In December 2003, Ferdinand received an eight-month ban for skipping a drug test at United’s training facility. He insists that he simply missed the test due to forgetfulness and has never tested positive for any illegal substances, but his attorneys urged him to remain silent and allow the legal system to work its course.
His perspective on Pogba’s circumstances has been influenced by both that experience and their bond, which they developed over their three years at United.
And now, the former defender is pressuring him to talk about his predicament on his FIVE YouTube channel. “You want to know the specifics behind it first. You comment on things in the media, and I believe that when it comes to drugs and that, you should be aware of the specifics,” he said.
Rio Ferdinand Verdict
“I’m well placed to sit and chat about this because I’ve been through this. And I’m not going to jump to, ‘He’s guilty’ because I’ve been here in this position. I know Paul, I played with him and I know him well enough after. I need to hear from him and then I need to hear some facts.”
Ferdinand advised Pogba to “look after himself” prior to recommending his own platform as the ideal venue for sharing his narrative.
He said: “If I had my time again now and I was Paul Pogba now and I’m innocent, I’m chatting. I’m coming on FIVE and I’m talking and I’m telling the people, ‘This is what happened.'”
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According to The Daily Mail, Pogba’s positive test resulted from taking some pills that a US doctor had prescribed. After his body had certain deficiencies found by blood tests, he was told to take the tablets.
Following the decision, Pogba made a statement saying:
“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me. When I am free of legal restrictions the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.
“As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against. As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
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