Liverpool’s Sakho will, in the coming days, learn how long his ban will extend to, with UEFA expected to give their verdict soon.
Liverpool fans were in shock and dismay in April as they learnt about Mamadou Sakho failing a drugs test for using a fat burner, which is a banned substance according to the UEFA regulations. The ban couldn’t have come at a worse time for Jurgen Klopp and his team as they were looking to win the Europa League and finish higher up the table in the Premier League to qualify for Europe next season.
Sakho is set to learn about the extent of his ban in the upcoming days, which is expected to be anywhere in the range of a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years. This ban could potentially have disastrous repercussions for him as he is nearing the peak playing years of his career, where his hard-work had brought him to the forefront of his club and international team. Liverpool fans will be hoping that Sakho gets a minimal ban of six months so they can shun the thought of letting Sakho go on a permanent basis. In the season gone by, Sakho eventually became a popular figure among the Kop, which has seen his desire and determination to win in abundance.
Sakho’s absence was clearly felt in the Europa League final as Liverpool conceded 3 goals in a matter of less than 30 minutes in the second half. All the good work done by Liverpool in the first half where, despite a flurry of attacks only managed a goal, got wiped off the slate in a matter of minutes.
Sakho, however, now faces a tough road to recovery from the mental aspect of his game as tarnished players often find it hard in their second coming to reach to the peak of their performance. Clearly, it must have devastated Sakho to miss out on a Euros tournament in his own backyard where his presence in defense was the key. Now all it remains to be seen is how effectively Sakho can put this episode behind him and start afresh.
