Paul Pogba has released a statement saying he is ‘shocked and heartbroken’ at his four-year ban for doping.
The Juventus midfielder has been banned from football for four years after a drugs test found evidence of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – a compound that promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone.
Pogba was provisionally suspended after the initial test on August 20, before a B sample was returned confirming the substance in his system.
The 30-year-old will now be unable to return to football until 2024, though has released a statement expressing his shock at the verdict and a determination to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect,” the statement read on Instagram.
“I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.
“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.
“As a professional athlete I would never do anything to enhance my performance by using banned substances and have never disrespected or cheated fellow athletes and supporters of any of the teams I have played for, or against.
“As a consequence of the decision announced today I will appeal this before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
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