FIFA hands two-year doping ban to World Cup winner Papu Gomez

World Cup winner Papu Gomez has been given a two-year ban by FIFA after testing positive for a banned substance, his Italian club Monza have said.

The Serie A club said terbutaline was found in the 35-year-old Argentina midfielder’s “biological samples” when he played for Sevilla in 2022.

“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,” read a Monza statement on Friday.

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“The sentence provides for a two-year disqualification from sporting activities.

“The presence of terbutaline was found in the footballer’s biological samples. It is a drug taken to calm a bronchospasm crisis, in October 2022, when the footballer was registered for Sevilla FC.

“AC Monza reserves the right to evaluate the next procedural steps.”

Buenos Aires-born Gomez played in Argentina, Italy and Ukraine before spending over six years at Atalanta until January 2021.

He then moved to Sevilla before joining Monza in September, where he has made only two substitute appearances.

Gomez has won 17 caps for Argentina and started twice at the 2022 World Cup, including the round of 16 victory over Australia, as the South Americans won the trophy for a third time in Qatar.