French international Paul Pogba, banned this Thursday for doping for four years, considers the decision of the Italian anti-doping court “wrong” and will appeal because he believes that he never “knowingly or intentionally” consumed prohibited products.
“I went today [esta quinta-feira] informed of the court’s decision and considers the verdict incorrect. (…) When I am free from legal restrictions, this story will become clearer, but I have never taken any supplement, knowingly or intentionally, that would violate anti-doping rules,” the 30-year-old Juventus midfielder wrote in an online publication social Instagram.
He will therefore appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), ruling that he will never do anything “to enhance performance through the use of prohibited substances.”
A four-year sentence requested by prosecutors was imposed on the French midfielder who won the 2018 World Cup, France-Presse and the Associated Press reported.
We are talking about a positive test for testosterone, a substance that is an anabolic steroid and helps accelerate muscle development, during a routine test carried out by the Italian League in a match between Juventus and Udinese on August 20 last year, in which he did not play either minutes on the field.
To explain this positive test result, the player’s representation announced last September that the testosterone metabolites were derived from a dietary supplement prescribed by a doctor the player consulted in the United States, and the player reneged on the deal to avoid the maximum penalty.
The 2018 world champion with France, who scored in the final of Croatia (4-2), played only two matches in the 2023/24 season, the last of which took place on September 3, 2023, and since returning to the Italian team in which he has already played with 2012 to 2016, in total he played 12 matches over more than a season and a half.
Meanwhile, he represented Manchester United in a glittering career that included the 2018 World Cup title with Les Bleus, the Europa League with Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils, four Italian Championships and other trophies such as the Nations League. in 2021.
Trained in Le Havre, he won 91 caps for France, which he has not represented since 2022, and he turns 31 next month, so a ban could end his career.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.