Argentine World Cup winner, Alejandro “Papu” Gomez, has received a two-year ban for failing a drug test after allegedly taking his children’s cough syrup in the run-up to the tournament. Gomez, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December 2022, tested positive for a prohibited substance shortly before the tournament began in November 2022.
Gomez explained that he failed the drug test because he took his children’s cough syrup without consulting with Sevilla’s doctors after having a bad night’s sleep. However, this explanation was not accepted as valid to avoid the ban.
He now has the option to appeal the verdict to seek a reduction or overturning of the ban. Gomez had joined Serie A team Monza as a free agent in October after his contract with Sevilla was terminated. He had spent two-and-a-half years at Sevilla and won the Europa League last season.
Gomez is most renowned for his time at Atalanta, where he played from 2014 to 2021. During his time at Atalanta, he made 252 appearances, scoring 59 goals, and played a key role in leading the club to the Champions League for the first time in their history before leaving the club in early 2021.