“Shocked”: Paul Pogba, Juventus midfielder, handed four-year doping ban

Paul Pogba, Juventus midfielder, was, on Thursday, handed a four-year ban for a doping offence. He was earlier provisionally suspended in September after a drug test revealed elevated levels of testosterone in his system.

The France international said that he is “sad, shocked and heartbroken”. “Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” he said in a statement, adding that he will appeal the decision.

As per a BBC report, he was given a surprise test after Juventus’ first match of the season on 20 August.

Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal confirmed the positive test in a second sample in October, leading to the anti-doping prosecutor’s office requesting a four-year suspension.

Pogba said that he believes 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. 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,” he said.

This ruling means that he will be unable to play until 2027, when he will be 33.

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.”

Italian Anti-Doping Organization, NADO, asserted that Pogba breached regulations by possessing prohibited non-endogenous testosterone metabolites, substances not naturally occurring in the body from testosterone. The findings suggested a correlation with an external origin of the target compounds.

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