'Heartbroken' Paul Pogba responds to four-year doping ban & announces next move
Paul Pogba will attempt to clear his name at the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being hit with a four-year doping ban.
Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba, currently contracted to Italian giants Juventus, was handed the maximum punishment possible by Italy's National Anti-Doping Tribunal on Thursday. It means Pogba, who was provisionally suspended in September after failing a drugs test on August 20 - while an unused substitute for Juventus against Udinese - won't play again until August 2027, when he is 34.
Pogba and his camp have always maintained that the taking of the prohibited substance DHEA - a banned substance that boosts endogenous testosterone - was never intentional. Speaking at the time of the initial suspension, Pogba's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said: "What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule."
And in a statement released on Thursday afternoon, after the granting of the four-year suspension requested by the prosecutor's office, Pogba again insisted he has never "knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations" and will appeal to the CAS.
Pogba said: “I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping's decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect.
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"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.”
Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year ban (Getty Images)DHEA is classed as an anabolic androgenic steroid and Pogba’s lawyers had pointed to previous cases where athletes had claimed to have unwittingly ingested the drug via a supplement - but to no avail.
His lawyers had rejected a plea deal after claiming he had unwittingly ingested the drug via a supplement, thus causing the positive test. However, prosecutors did not believe Pogba's defence.
Pogba became the world’s most expensive footballer when he moved to Manchester United from Juve for £89million in 2016, before rejoining the Italian giants on a free transfer in the summer of 2022.
The 2018 World Cup-winner has featured only sparingly since returning to Turin after a number of injury setbacks, making six Serie A appearances last season and two this term.
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