Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has received a four-year ban from football after a failed drug test, according to reports.
Renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano also confirmed the news via his X account.
The ban comes after the former Manchester United player tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone during a random drug test conducted after Juventus’ first match of the season on August 20.
Turth Live News learnt that Pogba intends to appeal against the decision made by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado).
Following the confirmation of the failed drugs test in a second sample by Nado in October, the anti-doping prosecutor’s office recommended a four-year suspension.
With the ban backdated to the date of the failed test, Pogba, who is 30 years old, will be ineligible to play until 2027.
Sources close to Pogba indicate that he maintains his innocence, believing any potential ingestion of a banned substance to be inadvertent.
Addressing the initial suspension, Pogba’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, stated, “Paul Pogba never intended to violate any rules.”
Testosterone, a hormone known to enhance athletes’ endurance, was the substance flagged in Pogba’s test.
Nado cited Pogba’s breach of regulations due to the discovery of prohibited non-endogenous testosterone metabolites in the test results, indicating an external source of the compounds.