Paul Pogba experienced a tumultuous Monday, even by his standards. Over breakfast, news broke that the Frenchman had contemplated quitting football due to an extortion scheme involving his brother.

By dinnertime, he faced a four-year suspension for failing a drug test, a potential career-ending blow.

If the 30-year-old receives the maximum penalty, his career could be in jeopardy, despite reaching the pinnacle of success with a World Cup victory with France in 2018 and securing a record-breaking £89 million transfer to Manchester United two years prior. However, Pogba’s career has felt unfulfilled following disappointing spells at both Old Trafford and Juventus.

Notably, Pogba tested positive for testosterone after a match in which he did not participate—Juventus’ 3-0 win over Udinese last month. Pogba’s playing time has been limited in recent times. His return to Turin, where he previously won four Serie A titles and reached a Champions League final, saw him make just 10 appearances and one start due to a knee injury that sidelined him during France’s World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Now, Pogba awaits the results of the B sample as he faces a two-year ban, which could be doubled if it is proven that he intentionally took the prohibited substance. This incident is the latest in a series of dramatic events that have seen Pogba’s career decline significantly since his World Cup triumph with France five years ago.

His relationship with Jose Mourinho, and increasingly with the United fanbase, had already started to sour. Mourinho left first after stripping Pogba of the vice-captaincy and benching him for his last game in charge, a match against Liverpool. Pogba later revealed that his fallout with Mourinho had left him battling depression.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a more sympathetic approach was taken, allowing Pogba to have his days off, travel abroad, and undergo regular rehab sessions in Miami and Dubai. However, Pogba couldn’t repay his manager’s trust on the field and irritated fans by consistently flirting with Real Madrid as he approached the end of his contract.

When he left United on a free transfer for the second time last summer, after a disappointing return that cost United £219 million over six years, Juventus emerged as his best option. By that time, Pogba’s personal life was also in turmoil. His agent and close friend, Mino Raiola, passed away in April 2022 after battling cancer. Raiola’s lawyer, Rafaela Pimenta, took over, and Pogba required legal assistance more than ever.

It was Pimenta who issued a statement on Pogba’s behalf on Monday, stating, “The certainty is that Paul Pogba never intended to break the rules.”

A year prior, Pogba faced revelations that he had been targeted by an organized crime gang. Four days after burglars raided his home in Hale, Cheshire, and threatened his wife Zulay and their two young children, Pogba encountered two hooded assailants armed with assault rifles in a Paris suburb. They demanded £11 million in protection money and threatened to blackmail him with a video allegedly supporting a bizarre claim that Pogba had paid a witch doctor to cast a spell on his France teammate Kylian Mbappe, accusing him of stealing the limelight.

Pogba acknowledged paying the witch doctor but insisted it was to seek treatment for injuries. His brother Mathias went public, threatening to reveal “explosive” information about Pogba and Mbappe before he was arrested and charged in connection with the plot.