Speaking in an interview with Radio Serie A, as quoted by Gazzetta Dello Sport, Lazio president Claudio Lotito has claimed he turned down a huge offer for Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinković-Savić from another Italian club.
Lotito, however, stated that Lazio never received a suitable offer from a foreign team. That’s despite longstanding reports of interest from a range of leading European sides in the now 28-year-old, who eventually left the Italian capital for Saudi Arabia this summer in a deal reportedly worth around €40m.
The only bid that met Lotito’s criteria was from another Serie A side, which he declined to name. However, he explained that the club was forced to turn it down. The Lazio president says this was due to a “commitment” he had made to then-coach Simone Inzaghi, and the offer came so late in that summer’s transfer window that the club did not have time to replace such a key player.
Continuing, Lotito says he was against selling the player this summer too, but Milinković-Savić stated he wanted to have “a new experience” after 341 games in all competitions for Lazio following his arrival from Genk in 2015, leading Lotito to allow a move.
Amidst a sea of roaring fans and flashing stadium lights, Juventus’ recent victory over Udinese was shadowed by a revelation that’s hit the football world like a summer storm. Tucked away from the pitch’s frenzy was Paul Pogba, the prodigious football talent whose return to Italy was marked by jubilation. However, as it turns out, every bright tale has its dark chapters.
The Unexpected Turn
In the aftermath of Juventus’ assertive 3-0 triumph over Udinese on August 20, an unforeseen chapter of Pogba’s narrative started to unravel. The Italian anti-doping authority (NADO) have handed Pogba a provisional suspension. The reason? A mismatch in the testosterone levels, specifically, the presence of testosterone not naturally produced by the body, according to NADO.
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Pogba’s Juventus Return Clouded by Anti-Doping Test Results
By Curtis Edwards- Sep 12, 20230
Photo: IMAGO
Pogba’s Clouded Return to Juventus: The Anticipatist a sea of roaring fans and flashing stadium lights, Juventus’ recent victory over Udinese was shadowed by a revelation that’s hit the football world like a summer storm. Tucked away from the pitch’s frenzy was Paul Pogba, the prodigious football talent whose return to Italy was marked by jubilation. However, as it turns out, every bright tale has its dark chapters.
The Unexpected Turn
In the aftermath of Juventus’ assertive 3-0 triumph over Udinese on August 20, an unforeseen chapter of Pogba’s narrative started to unravel. The Italian anti-doping authority (NADO) have handed Pogba a provisional suspension. The reason? A mismatch in the testosterone levels, specifically, the presence of testosterone not naturally produced by the body, according to NADO.
For someone who sat out during that dominating win, this unexpected twist brings up more questions than it answers.
The Shadows of FIFA’s Regulations
As the storm clouds gather over Turin, looming are FIFA’s stringent anti-doping regulations. A footballer could be sidelined for a span of two to four years if found breaching these guidelines. The severity of the penalty is contingent on the intent behind the violation. Was it a deliberate sidestep or an unwitting misstep? The forthcoming days may have an answer.
In the immediate afterglow of that Udinese clash, Pogba seemed to be weaving himself back into the Juve fabric, featuring in their following two bouts – a stalemate against Bologna and a victory over Empoli.
A Comeback, Interrupted
A famed name in football, Pogba had charted his path back to Juventus, leaving behind the Theatre of Dreams – Manchester United’s iconic Old Trafford. A knee and hamstring setback saw him benched for the better part of the last season. His re-entry to Juventus, after a six-year-long saga in Manchester, was nothing short of cinematic. However, the script seems to have taken an unplanned detour.
Only gracing the pitch 10 times in the 2022-23 run, the year that promised his renaissance might just be clouded by this recent revelation.
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