7 Footballers Who Were Banned for Doping That You Didn’t Know About

Doping in football, like in many other sports, is a punishable offence and it is always taken seriously because of the integrity of the game.

The authorities are clear on their stance that it is the players’ responsibility to not allow any unbanned substance to enter their bodies either knowingly or unknowingly. Over the years, several footballers have been banned for doping violations, ranging from the use of performance-enhancing drugs to recreational substances.

The latest player to face the wrath of the authorities after testing positive for doping is Paul Pogba. The Juventus midfielder was issued a four-year ban after he tested positive in September 2023.

Here are seven players that have been suspended in the past for violating doping rules;

(7) Kolo Toure:

The former Arsenal player was suspended for six months after he tested positive by the anti-doping authorities when he was playing for Manchester City in 2011. Touré claimed innocence after he had stated that he mistakenly took his wife’s tablets not knowing it had banned substance.

(6) Andrian Mutu:

The former Chelsea player tested positive for doping twice in his playing career. He was suspended for seven months while he was with Chelsea for allegedly using cocaine in 2004. Six years later he was found to be on sibutramine while he was with Fiorentina in 2010.

(5) Andre Onana:

The Manchester United goalkeeper is also on the list of players who have been suspended for violating doping rules.

The Cameroonian international also claimed that he used his wife’s tablet not knowing it had a banned substance named diuretic furosemide. However, this earned him a nine-month suspension.

(4) Fred:

The former Manchester United was caught on diuretic hydrochlorothiazide which is not a drug itself but can mask one. Fred got his ban extended by FIFA which kept him out for four months.

(3) Samir Nasri:

The former French international was issued an 18-month ban after he was found guilty of using a 500-millilitre infusion.

Nasir’s offence was that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) only allows players to go through a 50-millilitre infusion in a six-hour period as against the 500-millilitre that he went for. He was suspended from July 1, 2017, to December 2018.

(2) Diego Maradona:

Diego Maradona was caught doping more than once, the first ban came in 1991 while he was with Napoli. He tested positive for cocaine and thus received a fifteen-month ban.

The second time he was slammed with another 15 months was when he was caught being on ephedrine in 1994 during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was caught doping in his country at Boca Juniors which saw the beginning of the end of his career after he was caught doping.

(1) Paul Pogba:

The French International is the latest player to get suspended for the violation of doping rules. The Juventus midfielder tested positive for having excess testosterone in his body in September 2023 after the Juventus first game of the 2023/24 season. He was issued a four-year ban away from all football activities and this could also be the end of his football career.