French football star Paul Pogba has been banned for four years for testing positive for doping in 2023. Pogba, who has won the FIFA World Cup, was banned by Italy's Anti-Dopring Tribunal (NADO Italia) on Thursday, 29 February for testing positive for a banned substance, used back in 2023. Pogba has vowed to appeal the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stressing that he is innocent and that he had never taken any substance knowingly that comes under the purview of doping.
Pogba took to Instagram to upload a statement, hours after he was banned by the authorities and alleged that everything that he had built during his football career was being taken away from him.
"I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe 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 wrote on his Instagram account.
Pogba was initially suspended by Italy's national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September 2023, after testing positive for testosterone - a banned substance. The test was performed after Juve's 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on August 20.
The test detected testosterone, a hormone that increases athletes' endurance. The 30-year-old was an unused substitute in that game. Pogba's positive doping test was also confirmed in a counter-analysis on a second sample in October.
"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," stressed the footballer.
"As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport," he concluded.
Pogba is currently 30 years of age and the ban could essentially end his career - given the player will turn 34 at the end of the sentence. It’s another negative note for a player who has been bothered by injuries ever since rejoining Juventus from Manchester United in 2022. He was ruled out of France's run to the World Cup 2022 final due to a knee injury.
There’s also been a police investigation ongoing in France into allegations that Pogba was targeted by extortionists — including by his older brother, Mathias, who has denied any wrongdoing.
