Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years for a doping offence.
The former Manchester United player was provisionally suspended in September after a drug test found elevated levels of testosterone in his system.
The France international, 30, was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season on August 20.
BBC Sport has been told Pogba will appeal against Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal’s (Nado) decision.
The failed drug test was confirmed by Nado in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office had requested a four-year suspension.
A Juventus spokesperson told the AFP news agency, “We received notification from the tribunal this morning.”
The ruling means Pogba will be unable to play until 2027, when he will be 33, with the ban backdated to the date of the failed test.
It is understood that Pogba believes that if he did take a banned substance, he did so inadvertently.
Speaking at the time of the initial suspension, his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, said, “What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule.”
Testosterone is a hormone that increases the endurance of athletes.
Nado said Paul had violated rules when prohibited non-endogenous testosterone metabolites—substances not naturally produced by the body from testosterone—were found in the test, and the results were “consistent with the exogenous [external] origin of the target compounds.”.
Juventus re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal in July 2022 after the player ran down his contract at Manchester United and left as a free agent.
Paul’s return to Turin has been beset by persistent injury problems, which also saw him miss last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Pogba has played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in games with Bologna and Empoli.
Last season, he played 108 minutes over six Serie A games, made three appearances and one assist in the Europa League, and managed 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia—a total of 162 minutes and no goals.
