Brazilian professional soccer player Gabriel Barbosa has been banned for two years for attempting to cheat on a doping test. The sports court in Brazil announced this on Monday. The ban for the Flamengo Rio de Janeiro attacker, who won the gold medal with the Olympic team in 2016, is set to come into effect retroactively from April 8, 2023.
On that date, Gabriel Barbosa is said to have disrupted an unannounced doping test at the club’s headquarters in Rio by, among other things, ignoring the officials and not following their instructions, according to local media reports.
His club Flamengo Rio de Janeiro supports Barbosa
Gabriel Barbosa, who played in Europe for Inter Milan and Benfica Lisbon, denies the allegations. “I have never tried to obstruct or cheat on a test,” the Brazilian said on social media: “I am confident that I will be found innocent in the highest court.” Flamengo wrote in a statement that the club will support his player and assist in his appeal “because there was no type of fraud”.
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The striker played 18 international matches for the five-time world champion, in which he scored five goals. After the gold triumph in Rio, the attacker moved to Inter Milan for almost 30 million euros. After four years and several loans, the Italians sold Gabriel Barbosa back home to Flamengo. (lg/sid)
2024-03-26 14:51:01
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