The verdict came this Thursday: Paul Pogba is suspended from all football-related activities for four years. The fault lies with an anti-doping test which revealed a positive test for testosterone after a match against Udinese at the very start of the season. The Frenchman will therefore no longer be able to play a match until September 10, 2017, since he has already served a few months of his sentence since September 2023. A sanction which could well resemble the end of a career for the Juventino midfielder, who will celebrate his 31 years old in two weeks.
Indeed, it is hard to imagine the whimsical French international returning to the top at 34 (the sanction took effect in 2023, editor’s note) after four years without playing competitive football. In any case, the player has remained fairly discreet since the start of the affair, and he and his entourage have also decided to appeal this sanction, with the aim of canceling it, or at least, to reduce it if possible. But Pogba finally spoke via his Instagram account to speak about this suspension.
Pogba will defend himself
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“I was informed today of the decision of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping and I believe that the verdict is incorrect. I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built during my professional gaming career has been taken away from me. When I am free of legal restrictions, the full story will be revealed, but I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations.”he posted, before concluding.
“As a professional athlete, I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and I have never disrespected or cheated other athletes and fans of the teams I played for, or against whom I played. As a result of the decision announced today, I will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.. It remains to be seen whether this option will succeed. Or not.
