So far, Adidas is standing by soccer star Paul Pogba through his drug ban appeal
Adidas is not making any rash decisions in light of the four-year ban handed to Juventus and French soccer star Paul Pogba by Italy’s national anti-doping body, Nado Italia. The brand is eight years into a 10-year, $44 million contract with Pogba as a high-profile athlete ambassador. In a statement to Fast Company, an Adidas spokesperson said, “We understand the intention is to appeal this decision. We will await the outcome of this process before commenting any further.” On February 29, Nado Italia confirmed that Pogba, who won the 2018 World Cup with the French national team, would receive a four-year ban from football for doping offenses, after a routine drug test in September found elevated levels of testosterone in his system. The 30-year-old reacted with an Instagram post, denying he intentionally broke the rules and promised to appeal the decision. “I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me. 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. As a consequence of the decision announced today, I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.” Over the years, Adidas and Pogba have launched at least nine different collections of signature soccer boots and apparel. The relationship between athletes and brands often becomes complicated during incidents of performance-enhancing drugs. When tennis star Maria Sharapova was banned for two years back in 2016 for using a banned drug, Nike initially suspended its long-time partnership with her. But after a few months, the brand reiterated its commitment after an investigation by the International Tennis Federation found that she “did not intentionally break its rules.” However, in 2022, when Pittsburgh Pirates star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games for violating the league’s drug policies, Adidas dropped him. In a statement to ESPN’s Alden González, the brand said, “We believe that sport should be fair. We have a clear policy on doping and can confirm that our partnership with Fernando Tatis Jr. will not continue.” So far, Pogba’s situation is closer to Sharapova’s, making it perfectly reasonable for Adidas to wait until a final ruling is made after an appeal. Fast Company reached out to PepsiCo, another of Pogba’s major sponsors, but had not received a response as of press time.
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Adidas is not making any rash decisions in light of the four-year ban handed to Juventus and French soccer star Paul Pogba by Italy’s national anti-doping body, Nado Italia.
The brand is eight years into a 10-year, $44 million contract with Pogba as a high-profile athlete ambassador. In a statement to Fast Company, an Adidas spokesperson said, “We understand the intention is to appeal this decision. We will await the outcome of this process before commenting any further.”
On February 29, Nado Italia confirmed that Pogba, who won the 2018 World Cup with the French national team, would receive a four-year ban from football for doping offenses, after a routine drug test in September found elevated levels of testosterone in his system. The 30-year-old reacted with an Instagram post, denying he intentionally broke the rules and promised to appeal the decision.
“I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.
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.
As a consequence of the decision announced today, I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Over the years, Adidas and Pogba have launched at least nine different collections of signature soccer boots and apparel.
The relationship between athletes and brands often becomes complicated during incidents of performance-enhancing drugs. When tennis star Maria Sharapova was banned for two years back in 2016 for using a banned drug, Nike initially suspended its long-time partnership with her. But after a few months, the brand reiterated its commitment after an investigation by the International Tennis Federation found that she “did not intentionally break its rules.”
However, in 2022, when Pittsburgh Pirates star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games for violating the league’s drug policies, Adidas dropped him. In a statement to ESPN’s Alden González, the brand said, “We believe that sport should be fair. We have a clear policy on doping and can confirm that our partnership with Fernando Tatis Jr. will not continue.”
So far, Pogba’s situation is closer to Sharapova’s, making it perfectly reasonable for Adidas to wait until a final ruling is made after an appeal.
Fast Company reached out to PepsiCo, another of Pogba’s major sponsors, but had not received a response as of press time.
