Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa was suspended for 2 years on Monday following a doping fraud investigation.
The nation’s Anti-Doping Sports activities Courtroom of Justice voted 5-4 to punish Barbosa to April 2025.
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He introduced consideration to himself by his erratic habits throughout a shock take a look at on April 8, 2023, at some point earlier than Flamengo performed the Rio de Janeiro state championship.
Anti-doping officers who got here to check gamers on the membership coaching floor had been largely ignored by Barbosa, who took his take a look at hours after his teammates.
Barbosa’s legal professionals argued his blood take a look at on the time, which is taken into account a more practical take a look at, proved he was clear, and added his unfriendly habits towards the officers didn’t imply he tricked the take a look at.
Flamengo stated “there was no fraud, not even an tried fraud.”
“The membership obtained the choice with shock and can assist the athlete in his illustration on the Courtroom for Arbitration of Sport,” it added in a press release.
Nicknamed “Gabigol,” the 27-year-old Barbosa is within the remaining yr of his contract with Flamengo, which has given him nationwide acclaim after failed stints at Inter Milan and Benfica.
The striker was a part of Brazil‘s Olympic gold medal squad on the Rio Olympics in 2016. He left that yr for Europe however returned to Santos in 2018, and have become some of the prolific scorers in Brazil.
He moved to Flamengo in 2019 and helped it win two Copa Libertadores and two Brazilian leagues. However he has been benched since former Brazil coach Tite took over at Flamengo final October.
