UEFA EURO 2024 has already started in Germany. Every footballer dreams of representing his country in the international tournaments. Unfortunately, in this edition, some big players are going to miss the tournament. Some of them are not selected in the squad of their respective countries, some players are unable to go because their nation has not been qualified while some other will miss the current edition due to injuries. Paul Pogba is one of those popular names who is going to miss EURO 2024. Despite being one of the best midfielders of current era, Paul Pogba will miss the biggest European football tournament. The fans are confused and want to know as to why is Paul Pogba not playing for France at EURO 2024 ?
Why is Paul Pogba not playing for France at EURO 2024?
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is not playing for France in EURO 2024 because he is currently serving a four-year ban. The former Manchester United midfielder tested positive for DHEA while playing for Juventus at the start of the season. DHEA is a banned substance which naturally raises levels of testosterone. He was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season against Udinese on August 20. Due to this, Pogba was provisionally suspended by a tribunal of Italy’s national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September.
In the summer transfer window of 2022, Pogba went to his former club Juventus after his contract expired at Manchester United. However, the French midfielder struggled a lot for Juventus due to repeated injuries. Two weeks after joining Juventus from United, Pogba suffered a torn meniscus in Juventus’s preseason tour of the United States in July. Due to all those injuries, Pogba missed World Cup 2022.
Pogba and Kante were the two most crucial players of France’s World Cup-winning side in 2018. Pogba also scored in the final of World Cup 2018 against Croatia.
However, the absence of Pogba has not affected France so much. The team reached the finals of the World Cup 2022 without their two crucial midfielders. Madrid youngster Tchouameni has successfully replaced Pogba in France Starting 11.
