Papu Gómez receives two-year soccer ban

Papu Gómez allegedly took a banned substance while playing for Sevilla in November 2022. Subsequently, the Spanish club terminated his contract by mutual agreement before he signed for Italian side Monza recently. The Italian club have issued a statement confirming that they have received notification of a two-year ban for Gómez.

“AC Monza has received from FIFA, through the FIGC, notification of the first sentence of the Spanish Anti-Doping Commission against Alejandro Dario Gómez. The ruling provides for a two-year disqualification from playing sport. The presence of terbutaline was found in the player’s biological samples,” the statement read.

“It is a drug that was taken to calm a bronchospasm crisis, in October 2022, when the player was registered with Sevilla FC. AC Monza reserves the right to evaluate the next procedural steps.”

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Gómez told the club that days before the test he had had a bad night and that led him to take the syrup of one of his sons without prior consultation with the club’s doctors. The Argentinian went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with his national team after receiving the corresponding permission but the subsequent counter-analyses confirmed the positive result which has led to the two-year ban.

Gómez’s future in doubt

Gómez pleaded, but the anti-doping rules are very clear: ignorance does not exempt the athlete, who must be aware of the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Even poor advice from a doctor, which is not the case, does not exempt the athlete from the consequences. At the age of 35, the punishment could put an end to Gómez’s professional career. Gómez has played just two matches with Monza in Serie A.