2022 World Cup winner Alejandro “Papu” Gomez has been given a two-year ban from football for failing a drug test.
In October 2022, Gomez tested positive while he was playing for Sevilla, shortly before joining the Argentina squad for their World Cup campaign.
Lionel Messi’s World Cup winning teammate gets banned for doping
His new club, AC Monza, released a statement: “AC Monza announces that today, 20 October 2023, FIFA has notified the Spanish Anti-Doping Commission of the first instance ruling of the Spanish Anti-Doping Commission against the player Alejandro Dario Gomez.”
Sevilla were informed about the test results, but Gomez has only just been informed of his sentence.
He will now be out of action for two years, which could also lead to his early retirement.
What went wrong for Papu Gomez?
According to Relevo, the Argentine blamed his positive test on his children’s sickness syrup and said that he took the syrup after enduring a bad night’s sleep without consulting Sevilla’s medical staff.
Nevertheless, the anti-doping authorities did not consider this be an acceptable excuse. He will decide whether to appeal the verdict in a bid to get the lengthy ban overturned or reduced.
Gomez made two appearances in the World Cup, where his teammate Lionel Messi guided La Albiceleste to their third World Cup.
The 35-year-old played for Atalanta between 2014 and 2021 and helped them to become one of the best sides in Italy. However, he decided to move to Sevilla after falling out with Gian Piero Gasperini.
Gomez is the second Serie A player involved in a doping case this season. Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba tested positive for testosterone.
