Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year ban from football after failing a drugs test last August.
The 30-year-old, who left United for Juventus in 2022, was provisionally suspended in September for testing positive for testosterone. Pogba was tested after Juve’s 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on August 20 and testosterone was detected.
However, Pogba was an unused substitute in that game so it’s interesting that he is one of the players they wanted to randomly test.
Testosterone is a hormone that increases athletes’ endurance, therefore, is banned by Italy’s national anti-doping (NADO Italia).
The France international has been banned for four years for a doping offence earlier this season, as per the Daily Mail.
Juventus received notification from the anti-doping tribunal on Thursday morning. They will be disappointed that, despite bringing him back to Turin, Pogba only played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in games against Bologna and Empoli.
Last season Pogba managed 108 minutes in a Juve shirt.
However, Pogba has since said he is “sad, shocked and heartbroken” at the news.
“Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” Pogba said in a statement via Instagram.
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Pogba added he would appeal because he believes the verdict is “incorrect” and he would “never knowingly or deliberately” dope.
“When I am free of legal restrictions, the full story will become clear,” he added.
“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.”
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