ROME – It looks increasingly like Paul Pogba’s career is headed for an early end.
Once one of the world’s top midfielders, Pogba was banned for a maximum of four years by Italy’s anti-doping court on Thursday after the World Cup winner tested positive for testosterone while at Juventus.
Although Pogba said he would appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport, the verdict is unlikely to be overturned by the France international – who turns 31 next month – because he did not show any extenuating circumstances for failing the test.
The positive result was announced in September, stemming from tests carried out on August 20 after Juventus’ game at Udinese. Pogba did not play in the Serie A match but was on the bench.
Pogba chose not to negotiate with Italy’s anti-doping agency, so the case was heard before the country’s anti-doping court. A person with direct knowledge of the case confirmed the verdict to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the sentence was not made public due to Italian privacy laws.
Pogba said in a statement that he believed “the verdict is wrong”.
“I’m sad, shocked and saddened that everything I’ve built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” Pogba said. “When I am free of legal restrictions, the full story will become clear, but I have never knowingly or intentionally taken supplements that violated anti-doping regulations.”
It could take a full year for a CAS verdict — at least that’s the typical timeline, unless one side pushes for a quick process and the other side agrees to it.
Four-year bans are standard under the World Anti-Doping Code, but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was not intentional, if the positive test was the result of contamination, or if they provide “substantial assistance” to assist investigators .
Pogba was known for his versatility, physicality and eye for goal. When he returned to Manchester United in 2016, the club paid Juventus a world record transfer fee of 105 million euros ($113 million).
Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022 but has struggled with injuries, playing in just six Serie A games last season and two this season. He was ruled out of France’s 2022 World Cup finals due to a knee injury.
Pogba helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in a 4-2 final win over Croatia. He played in 178 matches for Juventus in the period 2012-16.
“As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and I have never disrespected or cheated teammates and supporters of any of the teams I have played for or against,” Pogba said.
Pogba’s contract with Juventus was due to expire in June 2026 but could now be terminated early. The Torino club had no immediate comment on the penalty.
The doping case follows an ongoing police investigation in France into allegations it was Pogba target of extortionists — including his older brother Matias, who has denied any wrongdoing.