Paul Pogba, a midfielder for France and Juventus, expressed feelings of disappointment, disbelief, and devastation upon receiving a four-year suspension from football due to a doping violation, which may mark the end of his career.
Pogba, who will be nearing 35 when the ban ends, stated that he plans to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport regarding what he believes is an unjust decision. He also expressed that the entire situation has not been fully understood.
The winner of the World Cup was temporarily banned by Italy’s national anti-doping organization, Nado Italia, during a hearing in September of the previous year. Pogba had failed a drug test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a prohibited substance that can increase testosterone levels, following Juventus’s 3-0 victory against Udinese on August 20. A follow-up test in October confirmed the initial positive result.
A representative for Juventus informed the Guardian that they have received notification from the anti-doping agency stating that Pogba has been banned for four years. Pogba is currently 30 years old and his contract with the team will expire in 2026.
On his Instagram, Pogba expressed that he was recently made aware of the decision by the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping and disagrees with the outcome. He feels disappointed, surprised, and devastated that his entire professional career as a player has been invalidated.
The complete truth will be revealed when I am no longer bound by legal limitations, however, I have never intentionally or knowingly ingested any supplements that go against anti-doping rules.
As a professional athlete, I would never engage in practices that would improve my performance through the use of banned substances. I have also never shown disrespect towards my fellow athletes or betrayed my team and opponents. In response to the decision made today, I plan to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport.
Pogba’s return to Juventus in 2022 after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer has been a difficult one, marked by injuries to his knee and hamstring. His previous stint at United, where he first entered their academy and played his first official game, was cut short when he signed with Juventus for a record-breaking fee of €110m (£93.2m) in 2016.
Nado Italia stated that they are unable to provide a comment on the matter due to Italian privacy regulations.
Source: theguardian.com
