Pogba Denies Doping Allegations Amid Four-Year Ban from Italy

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Pogba Denies Doping Allegations Amid Four-Year Ban from Italy

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It appears increasingly likely that Paul Pogba’s career is heading towards a premature end.

Once regarded as one of the world’s top midfielders, Pogba received a four-year ban from Italy’s anti-doping court on Thursday for testing positive for testosterone while playing for Juventus.

Despite Pogba’s intention to appeal to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, the verdict suggests that the France international, who turns 31 next month, failed to provide any mitigating reasons for his positive test.

The positive result was announced in September following an examination conducted on Aug. 20 after Juventus’ game at Udinese. Although Pogba did not participate in the Serie A match, he was present on the bench.

Pogba chose not to negotiate a plea deal with Italy’s anti-doping agency, leading to the case being heard by the country’s anti-doping court. A source with direct knowledge of the case confirmed the verdict to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity due to Italy’s privacy laws.

In a statement, Pogba expressed his belief that “the verdict is incorrect.”

“I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” Pogba said. “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.”

A decision from CAS could take up to a year, unless both parties agree to expedite the process.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, four-year bans are standard but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was unintentional, a result of contamination, or if they provide “substantial assistance” to investigators.

Having had two spells at both Manchester United and Juventus, Pogba was known for his versatility, physicality, and goal-scoring ability. Upon his return to United in 2016, the Manchester club paid Juventus a then-world-record transfer fee of 105 million euros ($113 million).

Pogba rejoined Juventus in 2022 but struggled with injuries, featuring in only six Serie A matches last season and two this season. He missed France’s World Cup final run in 2022 due to a knee injury.

Pogba contributed to France’s previous World Cup victory, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final. He played 178 matches for Juventus from 2012-16.

“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,” Pogba said.

Pogba’s contract with Juventus was set to expire in June 2026, but it could now be terminated early. The Turin club had no immediate comment on the sentence.

This doping case follows an ongoing police investigation in France into allegations that Pogba was targeted by extortionists, including his older brother Mathias, who has denied any wrongdoing.