Argentina’s World Cup champion, Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, received a two-year suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, as it was reported that he inadvertently ingested his children’s cough syrup in the lead-up to the tournament.
In December of last year, Gomez and his fellow players, including the World Cup’s star Lionel Messi, celebrated their victory against France in the final through a thrilling penalty shootout.
Nevertheless, it has now come to light that he tested positive for a prohibited substance shortly before the commencement of the World Cup in November 2022.
Gomez and his former club, Sevilla, were informed about the failed test several months ago, but the player has only recently been officially penalized.
The 35-year-old attributed his positive test result to his consumption of his children’s cough syrup without seeking advice from Sevilla’s medical team, following a restless night’s sleep, as reported by Relevo.
Nonetheless, his explanation did not pass muster as a valid reason to evade a suspension.
Consequently, he now faces a choice to challenge the ruling in the hopes of minimizing or reversing his ban.
This development is a significant setback for the Serie A team Monza, which recently acquired Gomez as a free agent just last month.
Gomez is most renowned for his tenure at Atalanta from 2014 to 2021.
Having accumulated 252 appearances for the team and netting 59 goals, the winger played a pivotal role in guiding the club to their inaugural Champions League qualification.
However, in early 2021, he departed the Italian club due to a disagreement with manager Gian Piero Gasperini.