Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba says he is “sad, shocked, and heartbroken” after being banned from football for four years for a doping offence.
The France international, 30, was provisionally suspended in September after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone in his system.
“Everything I have built in my professional career has been taken away from me,” he said in a statement.
The former Manchester United player added he would appeal.
Pogba was randomly tested after Juventus’ first match of the season on 20 August.
The positive test was confirmed by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal (Nado) in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor’s office requested a four-year suspension.
Juventus told the BBC they received notification from the anti-doping tribunal on Thursday morning.
Pogba said he believed the verdict was “incorrect” and he would “never knowingly or deliberately” dope.
“When I am free of legal restrictions, the full story will become clear,” he said, adding he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
“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.”
The ruling means 2018 World Cup winner Pogba will be unable to play until 2027, when he will be 34, with the ban backdated to the date of the failed test.
According to information put into the public domain by the Football Leaks website, when Pogba re-signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2016, his five-year contract was a basic £7.75m each year.
A loyalty bonus of £3.75m a year was also included. If United qualified for the Champions League, Pogba netted a further £1.85m.
In addition, Pogba had a £3m-a-year image rights deal. His agent Mino Raiola, who died in 2022, was paid £41m to help take Pogba back to United.
Juventus then re-signed Pogba on a four-year deal in July 2022 after he ran down his contract at Manchester United and left as a free agent.
Pogba said that he experienced depression after falling out with manager Jose Mourinho during the Portuguese manager’s time in charge at Old Trafford.
There is also an ongoing French police criminal investigation, launched in summer 2022, after Pogba said he was the victim of an alleged blackmail plot by an organised crime gang.
His brother Mathias Pogba was one of five people detained and placed under formal investigation. His lawyer said his client is innocent. There has not yet been a resolution to the case.
In Pogba’s first spell at Juventus, from 2012-16, he made 178 appearances across all competitions and won four league titles, scoring 34 goals, before re-joining United for a then-world record transfer fee of £89.3m.
He had previously moved to United as a teenager from Le Havre before departing at the age of 19 for Juventus.
Pogba has played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute this season in games against Bologna and Empoli.
Last season he played 108 minutes over six Serie A games, made three appearances and had one assist in the Europa League, and managed 11 minutes in the Coppa Italia – a total of 162 minutes and no goals.