Argentina’s Alejandro “Papu” Gomez could be suspended over doping allegations and stripped of the World Cup and Europa League titles he won last season.
According to Spanish publication Relevo, the attacking midfielder has been tested by anti-doping authorities and has been told he will be banned from sporting activities for two years. This comes less than three weeks after he signed for Serie A club Monza. The 35-year-old is said to be planning to retire immediately if his sentence is upheld or at least not significantly reduced. However, the fallout from the controversy would not only end Gomez’s career, but also his greatest achievement.
From the plate. His offense is believed to be linked to a breach of tests after last season’s Europa League play-off against Sevilla, the club’s recent penalty shoot-out win and the 2022 World Cup final against France. Argentina did not score a free-kick during the tournament, but Saudi Arabia were found to have breached the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WDA) banned substance list days before their match against Australia. We wonder if his participation in his country’s third World Cup victory, the most important trophy after national hero Lionel Messi, watched by 1.5 billion people worldwide, was a dirty achievement.Alexis McAllister was also part of this team when he was a Brighton player. That performance, along with his former club being knocked out of the Europa League before turning 24, paved the way for a £35million move to Anfield in the summer.
But could the Liverpool midfielder be stripped of his World Cup winner’s medal because of his team-mate’s actions? ? There is currently no legal response. Article 11 of the World Anti-Doping Code states that athletes do not risk losing their national team or club titles. If two or more members of the group are convicted of a crime, the punishment is appropriate.
