'Heartbroken' Pogba to appeal four-year doping ban at CAS

:Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba's career hung in the balance on Thursday after he was handed a four-year doping ban but the France international said he would try to clear his name by appealing the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pogba was provisionally suspended by a tribunal of Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September after testing positive for testosterone - a banned substance and hormone that increases athletes' endurance.

Juventus did not comment on the ban but a source confirmed the club was notified about the decision and would assess the next steps.

The 30-year-old Pogba, who has a contract at Juve until June 2026, said he had been informed of the decision but denied any wrongdoing and believed the verdict to be incorrect.

"I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me," Pogba said in a statement.

"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," he added, referring to sport's highest court.

Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) declined to comment on Pogba's case citing privacy rules.

The doping test, performed after Juve's 3-0 Serie A season-opening victory at Udinese on Aug. 20, detected testosterone, with the tribunal saying the results were consistent with an 'exogenous' (external) origin of the substance.

Pogba was an unused substitute in that game but he later made two appearances off the