Paul Pogba, who won the FIFA World Cup 2018 with France, announced that he will appeal his four-year doping ban at the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder took to Instagram to announce that he would appeal the decision.
“I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect. I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me,” he wrote.
“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.”
Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September after testing positive for testosterone - a banned substance.
The test, performed after Juve’s 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on August 20, detected testosterone, a hormone that increases athletes’ endurance. The 30-year-old was an unused substitute in that game.
Pogba’s positive doping test was also confirmed in a counter-analysis on a second sample in October.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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