Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has reportedly been banned from professional football for four years, having been found guilty of using a performance-enhancing drug.
The 30-year-old tested positive for testosterone following Juve's first match of the 2023-24 campaign against Udinese.
According to La Repubblica, Pogba's lawyers rejected a plea deal, claiming that the substance had been accidentally ingested, but the midfielder has now been hit with a four-year ban from football.
Pogba will turn 31 in the middle of next month, meaning that he would not be able to return to the field until he is 34, if the ruling is upheld, as it will start from when he first tested positive.
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The 91-time France international started his professional career at Manchester United, but he only made seven appearances for the club before leaving on a free transfer for Juventus.
A highly-successful first spell in Turin saw Pogba make 178 appearances for the Old Lady, winning four Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and the Italian Super Cup before returning to Man United in 2016.
Pogba made 226 appearances during his second spell at Old Trafford, winning the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup, before returning to Juventus on a four-year deal in July 2022.
The midfielder was restricted to just 10 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign due to injury, though, and he has featured just twice for his current side this season.
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Pogba was an unused substitute against Udinese in the team's campaign opener, but he featured off the bench against both Bologna and Empoli before missing the next four through injury.
According to Sky in Italy, Italy's National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA) accepted the ruling of the Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office to hand out the suspension.
Pogba is said to be planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), with the midfielder insisting that he did not intentionally break any rules.
The Frenchman's contract with Juventus is due to expire in June 2026, so he will be a free agent once the four-year suspension has been served, and there are now serious doubts over whether his career as a professional footballer will continue.
Matt Law
