Gary Lineker has shared a worrying theory in the wake of Paul Pogba’s four-year ban for doping.
On Thursday, Juventus’ Pogba was banned for four years over a doping offence, after testing positive for abnormal levels of testosterone in August. The France World Cup winner has vehemently insisted the result is incorrect.
In a statement, Pogba said: "I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.
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"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."
Pogba has said he will appeal the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
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Reacting to the news of Pogba’s ban on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said he has long believed that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is likely to be prevalent in football due to the amount of money in the game.
Speaking on Pogba’s ban, Lineker claimed: “I wonder a little bit generally. I’ve always had a slight fear in recent years about possible performance-enhancing drugs in football.
“There are a lot of players now playing a lot longer than they used to.
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“And I know things have improved with medical situations and stuff but it’s in most other sports and when you consider the amount of money in football, if you can perform a little bit better, with the vast sums you could get the temptations must be there.
“I suspect that Pogba is not the only player to do this but it is a worry. I think it is for all sports.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty/Rest is FootballTopics: Paul Pogba, Football, Gary Lineker, Juventus