Stunning win over American Tommy Paul sets up Italian Open title clash against against Alexander Zverev
sports2 days ago
France star Paul Pogba has been given a four-year ban from football by Italy's anti-doping tribunal after testing positive for testosterone last August, his club Juventus said on Thursday.
A spokesman for the club told AFP it had been notified of the decision against the 30-year-old World Cup winner, who had been provisionally suspended in September.
"We received notification from the tribunal this morning," the spokesman said. Italy's anti-doping body did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP.
Anti-doping prosecutors had called for the four-year ban to be imposed on the former Manchester United midfielder, who tested positive following Juventus's opening match of the Italian Serie A season against Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
A month later a B sample confirmed the presence of testosterone, and he has been provisionally suspended since.
"Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me," he said in a statement.
Pogba said he believed 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," he said.
"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."
The ruling means Pogba will be unable to play until 2027, when he will be 33, with the ban backdated to the date of the failed test.
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."
Testosterone is a hormone that increases the endurance of athletes.
Pogba's representatives said the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Pogba, who returned to Juventus for a second spell in 2022 after six years at United, was a key member of the France team that won the World Cup in Russia in 2018, scoring in the final against Croatia.
His positive doping test came as he was trying to put behind him a difficult first season back at Juve, in which he made just 10 appearances and was troubled by off-field issues including an investigation into an extortion attempt against him.
ALSO READ:
Stunning win over American Tommy Paul sets up Italian Open title clash against against Alexander Zverev
sports2 days ago
Pep Guardiola's all-conquering Blues go into the final day of the season on Sunday with a two-point cushion over the Gunners thanks to an eight-game winning streak
sports2 days ago
Brazilian Fabio Lima strikes twice in Dubai club's emphatic 4-0 victory at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain
sports2 days ago
Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods were among the stars packing their golf bags and leaving the famed Kentucky course after a testing second round on Friday
sports2 days ago
Top players can compartmentalize their lives, shut out all other outside distractions and can just focus on their game, says renowned golf coach Peter Cowen
sports2 days ago
The maverick West Indies' wicketkeeper-batsman hit eight sixes in his 29-ball 75 to set-up a comfortable win over the pre-tournament favourites
sports2 days ago
Bengaluru needs to win the match by at least 18 runs if they score a minimum of 200 runs batting first or win in 18.1 overs if they are chasing 200
sports2 days ago
The American is faces four criminal charges with assault of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic
sports2 days ago