Amid the news of Paul Pogba's failed drug test, here are seven other top footballers, including Diego Maradona and Pep Guardiola, who were infamously found guilty of doping.
The France international has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substance, in this case endogenous testosterone following the club's Serie A clash with Udinese at the beginning of the campaign, with it believed he could face a ban of up to four years as a result.
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In the long history of football, though, several other international stars have also been found guilty of using banned substances.
Pep Guardiola
When the Spaniard was still a footballer playing for Brescia in Italy, he was found guilty of taking nandrolone, a type of anabolic steroid and also a banned substance.
Guardiola received a four-month ban for his transgressions. The charges were, however, dropped following a successful appeal six years later. Despite the Italian National Olympic Committee reopening the case, the charges were cleared once more in 2009.
Diego Maradona
In 1991, the South American maestro was slapped with a 15-month suspension for using cocaine in a struggle that is widely documented. His battle with the drug sadly continued after he retired from the game.
During the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, the iconic Argentine was also booted from the Albiceleste squad after testing positive for five variants of ephedrine, an analeptic FIFA had banned.
Kolo Toure
The Ivorian received a six-month ban from the English FA in May 2011 after testing positive for a banned substance while at Manchester City. It was revealed at the time that Toure had been taking his wife's diet pills.
According to reports, the organisation was satisfied that the player did not intend to use it as a performance enhancer, but still upheld the suspension.
Samir Nasri
The Frenchman is another ex-City player who was found guilty of using a banned substance. While out on loan at LALIGA side Sevilla, Nasri was believed to have abused a drip treatment in the United States.
The treatment involves being injected with vitamins under a certain limitation. Nasri, however, reportedly took 10 times the 50-millilitre infusion limit allowed by World Anti-Doping Agency regulations. He was subsequently slapped with a six-month ban that later turned into 18 months.
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Andre Onana
The newly-signed Manchester United goalkeeper was banned for a year by UEFA in 2021 during his time at Ajax Amsterdam after testing positive for the banned substance furosemide.
After appealing the decision and explaining that he had accidentally taken his pregnant wife's medicine, the ban was decreased from 12 months to nine.
Jaap Stam
The Dutchman tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone in October 2001 while playing for Serie A side Lazio.
He was initially hit with a ban of five months, but appealed it and managed to get it reduced to just one month.
Edgar Davids
The iconic Netherlands midfielder renowned for wearing glasses while playing also tested positive for nandrolone in 2001, during his time at Juventus.
Despite denying ever taking the drug, Davids was given a four-month ban.
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