In his heyday, Samir Nasri was one of the most exciting wingers in the sport. The Frenchman rose to prominence as a young prospect at Marseille.
He then enjoyed a memorable stint at Arsenal between 2008 and 2011, before joining Manchester City.
However, the later part of his playing career witnessed a major dip in form, while a positive anti-doping test spelled the end of his days as a true protagonist on the pitch. He ended up retiring from the sport in 2021 at the age of 34.
In a new interview, Nasri shed some light on his personal experience, while projecting a similar path for Paul Pogba if the counter-analysis confirms the initial positive result.
The 36-year-old believes a ban would put an end to the Juventus midfielder’s time at the top level.
“If Pogba gets a one-year ban, I think we won’t see him at the top level again, because he won’t be able to train in a training center for ten months,” explains the former Arsenal star via JuveNews.
“When it happened to me, I decided not to do anything about it. On the contrary, I celebrated. Afterwards, I trained with West Ham.
“It takes a lot of mental strength, because for ten months, you have to train at home, in the gym, or even outside.
“I had a certificate from the doctor who prescribed me a vitamin injection. There was no doping product, it was simply the dosage that was above the limit.
“I understand that footballers may not be aware of taking doping products, but sports doctors should know better.
“Whoever recommended this prescription to him is no real friend, or he is completely off track.”
Pogba’s anti-doping test after the opening matchday fixture at Udine showed an elevated level of testosterone.
