PARIS: Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba’s career was hanging in the balance on Thursday after he was handed a four-year doping sentence, but the France international said he will try to clear his name by filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The France international was provisionally suspended by a tribunal of Italy’s national anti-doping organization (NADO Italia) in September after testing positive for DHEA, a banned chemical that naturally enhances testosterone levels.
Juventus declined to comment on the ban, but a source acknowledged they had been aware of the judgment and would consider their next moves. The 30-year-old Pogba, who is under contract at Juventus until June 2026, denied any wrongdoing.
“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” Pogba said in an e-mail.
“As a professional athlete, I would never use forbidden substances to improve my performance, and I have never insulted or defrauded other athletes or fans of any team I have ever played for or against.
“As a result of today’s decision, I will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” he said, referring to the sport’s highest court.
NADO Italia refuses to comment on the Pogba case, citing privacy concerns.
The drug test was conducted following Juventus’ 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory over Udinese on August 20.
The tribunal stated that it discovered the illegal substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites” and that the results were “consistent with the exogenous (external) origin of the target compounds”.
Pogba was an unused replacement in that game, but he came off the bench against Bologna and Empoli before receiving a provisional suspension.
Pogba’s positive drug test was also confirmed in a counter-analysis of a second sample in October.
The suspension may basically end Pogba’s career at the highest level.
At his height, the Frenchman was one of the sport’s highest-paid players, having signed a then-world record move of over 100 million euros ($108.42 million) to Premier League club Manchester United in 2016.
According to a source, Juventus pays Pogba a monthly minimum wage of 2,000 euros ($2,200).
If the punishment is upheld by CAS, Pogba’s contract may be revoked, and he will not be able to return to play until September 2027, when he will be 34.
“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,” Pogba said in a statement.
Pogba has had a poor second time with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club after leaving United on a free transfer in 2022.
The 2018 World Cup winner played sparingly last season owing to knee and hamstring issues, as well as knee surgery, which prohibited him from competing for France at the World Cup in Qatar.
