Juventus midfielder, Paul Pogba is facing a serious ban that will see him vacate the sports scene for nearly four years after being suspended. The midfielder has been left ‘sad and heartbroken’ beyond belief after receiving the news.
The 30-year-old has been previously suspended in September for failing a drug test that found elevated levels of testosterone in his system. Now, the heat has come down on Pogba with serious action taken against him by the national anti-doping tribunal that found evidence pointing to doping.
The former Man United player said he would appeal and try to make his case later on. Pogba was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season on 20 August and it was from that moment on that everything started to go downhill for the footballer. After a positive test was confirmed by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office requested a four-year suspension.
“Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” he said in a statement. Juventus confirmed the reports on Thursday morning and informed the public that the club had gotten news from the anti-doping tribunal about Pogba’s future.
Pogba said he believed the verdict was “incorrect” and he would “never knowingly or deliberately” dope. “When I am free of legal restrictions, the full story will become clear,” he said, adding he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
“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.”
Right now, with the ban in full effect, Pogba will be unable to play football until 2027 when he will be 34 at the time. Nado said Pogba had violated rules when prohibited non-endogenous testosterone metabolites – substances not naturally produced by the body from testosterone – were found, and the results were “consistent with the exogenous [external] origin of the target compounds”.
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