Papu Gomez, World Cup winner with Argentina, has been hit with a two-year ban for failing a drugs test. According to reports, the player tested positive in November 2022 as a result of accidentally taking a banned over-the-counter syrup.
Alejandro “Papu” Gomez, an Argentine winger who won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, was handed a two-year ban on Friday by his current club, Monza, for taking the prohibited chemical terbutaline.
“AC Monza announces that on 22 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,” the club said in a statement.
Days before the World Cup in Qatar started off, in October of last year, the former Sevilla winger had taken the drug. Shortly before the World Cup, Gomez was supposedly feeling under the weather one evening when he was exercising with Sevilla. Consequently, he stole a syrup from one of his kids.
Though he had been completely aware of the situation, he got to know about the ban this week, leaving his World Cup trophy and legacy in jeopardy.
It has been said that Monza, the Italian Football club who signed the 35-year-old Argentine at the end of September, was aware of Gomez’s doping investigation when signing him. The club management hasn’t ruled out playing Papu Gomez against Roma.
It was announced yesterday in Spain that Gomez has been banned for two years for doping. However, Italy has yet to ask to enforce the ban formally, so Gomez is available for selection this weekend. TMW says Monza were aware of the investigation when signing the free agent.
Gomez has insisted the problem stemmed from him taking some of his children’s cough syrup to help him sleep one night last November. A random test caught him out after a Sevilla training session. Given their awareness of the case, Monza is expected to help Gomez in his appeal.
