-
Julian Lorenz, reporter
France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba He was suspended from football for four years due to doping.
Pogba was temporarily suspended by the Italian National Anti-Doping Court (Nado Italia) last September, after he tested positive for testosterone, a banned substance.
Italian prosecutors requested a maximum ban of four years in December.
The 2018 World Cup winner tested positive for testosterone after Juventus’ match against Udinese on August 20, 2023. He did not play in the match but was on the bench.
Pogba confirmed in a statement that he would appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and insisted that he had never taken banned substances.
Pogba said: “Today I was informed of the decision of the National Anti-Doping Court, and I believe that the ruling is incorrect.”
“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I built in my professional career has been taken away from me.
“When I am free from the legal restrictions, the whole story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.
“As a professional athlete, I would never do anything to improve my performance using banned substances and I would never insult or deceive my fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I played for or against.
He added, “As a result of the decision announced today, I will appeal it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Pogba chose not to take a plea deal with the Italian Anti-Doping Agency, so the case was tried before the country’s anti-doping court. A person with direct knowledge of the case confirmed the ruling to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the ruling was not made public due to Italian privacy laws.
A four-year ban is standard under the World Anti-Doping Code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove that doping was not intentional, if the positive test was the result of contamination or if he provided “substantial assistance” to assist investigators. .
Pogba (30 years old) returned to Juventus in 2022 after his second spell at Manchester United. Since his return to Italy, he has suffered injuries. He played in 178 matches for Juventus from 2012 to 2016.
He has been ruled out of France’s run to the 2022 World Cup final due to a knee injury.
Pogba helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.
There has also been an ongoing police investigation in France into allegations that Pogba had been targeted by blackmailers, including his older brother Mathias, who has denied any wrongdoing.
Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this story.
