ROME – Paul Pogba was “shocked and heartbroken” after the midfielder was banned from football for four years by Italy’s anti-doping tribunal, following a positive test for testosterone last August.

A spokesman for his club Juventus said on Feb 29 they had been notified of the decision against the 30-year-old World Cup winner, who had been provisionally suspended in September.

Pogba, meanwhile, announced he would appeal against the ruling, which risks bringing a premature end to his career.

“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he posted on Instagram.

Declaring the verdict was “incorrect”, he denied ever using performance-enhancing substances.

“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,” he insisted.

“As a consequence of the decision announced today, I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

The ban means Pogba, who had two spells at Manchester United, will not be able to play again until the 2027-28 season, by which time he will be 34.

Anti-doping prosecutors had called for the four-year ban to be imposed on the Frenchman, who tested positive following Juventus’ opening match of the Italian Serie A season against Udinese on Aug 20. A month later, a B sample confirmed the presence of testosterone, and he has been provisionally suspended since.

Pogba’s representatives said the testosterone – which is a hormone that increases athletes’ endurance – came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.

His positive doping test came as he was trying to put behind him a difficult first season back at Juventus, in which he struggled with fitness problems and made just 10 appearances, while also missing France’s unsuccessful defence of their World Cup title in 2022 due to injury.

Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said he “could not imagine” that Pogba “had the intention, the desire to take drugs”.

“What Paul has been experiencing for several months is extremely hard and I obviously cannot remain indifferent to his pain, given everything he has achieved,” he added. AFP