Paul Pogba has been handed a four-year suspension from football following a positive drug test in August.
The 30-year-old tested positive for Dhea, a prohibited substance, last year and has been inactive since his last game for Juventus in September.
Pogba's four-year ban was enforced by Italy's national anti-doping tribunal. The report indicates that the anti-doping prosecutor's office had proposed a four-year suspension, which was approved on Thursday.
It is reported that Pogba's legal representatives turned down a plea deal and were optimistic about the Juventus midfielder receiving a milder penalty, contending that he unintentionally consumed the substance leading to the positive test. However, their appeals were disregarded, and Pogba's suspension was deemed one of the most severe consequences for the violation.
The tribunal stated that Pogba breached anti-doping regulations when they detected the prohibited substance 'non-endogenous testosterone metabolites' in his positive drug test. They remarked that his results were 'consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.'
Due to the duration of Pogba's suspension, he will be ineligible to return to the field until 2027, as the suspension has been retroactively applied from 2023. The positive test occurred in August after Juventus' win over Udinese, a match where Pogba remained an unused substitute.
Turning 31 next month, Pogba won't be able to participate in football again until he's nearly 35. His contract with Juventus will expire before that, as he is only committed to the Allianz Stadium until the summer of 2026.
Formerly the world's most expensive footballer, Pogba joined Manchester United from Juventus in 2016 for a transfer fee of approximately £89.3 million. Despite winning the World Cup with France two years later, his performances at Old Trafford faced criticism for not reaching the same heights.
Pogba returned to Juventus on a free transfer in 2022 after completing over 200 appearances for United during his six-year tenure. His first season back in Italy was marred by a severe knee injury, necessitating surgery and sidelining him for several months.
