Why has Fluminense’s Manoel been suspended for eight months before the Copa Libertadores final?

The 2023 Copa Libertadores final against Boca Juniors will give Fluminense the opportunity to make history. The Rio-based side, who have former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo on their roster, are only Brazil’s eighth biggest club in terms of league titles and have only once reached the final of South America’s premier club soccer tournament, losing to Ecuadorian side Liga de Quito en 2008.

With Saturday’s game taking place at Maracanã, their home ground, there will never be a better chance for Flu to get their hands on the trophy, but defender Manoel will miss the chance to write himself into club folklore after being hit by an eight-month suspension from soccer just days before the final.

Fluminense defender Manoel tests positive for ostarine: what is it?

The centre-back, who has also played for Athletico Paranaense, Cruzeiro and Corinthians in his homeland, has been banned by CONMEBOL after testing positive for ostarine, a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) which is a drug designed to have similar effects to testosterone. Ostarine is designed to promote muscle growth and prevent muscle wasting but is not approved for human consumption in any country in the world.

The 33-year-old hasn’t played for Fluminense since a 2-2 draw in Brazil’s Série A on 11 June, three days after he was randomly selected for a drug test following the Copa Libertadores group stage thrashing of River Plate, in which he was an unused substitute.

Suspension cut due to “accidental doping”

The normal punishment for the use of ostraine in sport is a four-year ban, but Manoel’s punishment was reduced to eight months after his legal team was able to convince the authorities he was unaware he had taken the substance.

The defender has had to wait several months for the length of his ban to be officially confirmed and 19 June has been marked as the start of his suspension. He should therefore be able to return to action in February, by which point he might well have missed out on becoming a Copa Libertadores winner.