MONZA (ITALY): Monza forward Alejandro “Papu” Gomez has been banned for two years in a doping case stemming from his time at Spanish club Sevilla — possibly ending the 35-year-old player's career.
Gomez tested positive last October while playing for Sevilla, shortly before joining the Argentina squad that went on to win the World Cup.
Monza said Friday it had received notification from FIFA, via the Italian soccer federation, of the sentence by the Spanish anti-doping commission.
“The sentence imposes a ban of two years from sporting activities," Monza said in a statement. “The presence of Terbutaline was found in the player's biological samples. The drug was taken to calm a bronchospasm issue, in October 2022, when the footballer was registered for Sevilla FC.”
Gomez was on the bench when Sevilla won the Europa League final last season and his contract with the club was terminated on Sept. 1. He joined Monza three weeks ago as a free agent and has played in two Serie A matches — without scoring — since returning to Italy.
A former captain of Atalanta, Gomez helped the Bergamo club to a string of successful seasons before a falling out with coach Gian Piero Gasperini led him to leave for Sevilla in January 2021.
Gomez is the second Serie A player involved in a doping case this season. Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba tested positive for testosterone.