Argentinian player Alejandro “Pap” Gomez has been handed a two-year ban for doping. This development not only jeopardizes his career but also puts his World Cup and Europa League titles at risk.
Revello reports that anti-doping authorities informed Gomez of the ban, shortly after he signed for Serie A club Monza. Now 35, there has been speculation that he may withdraw if his original sentence is upheld or his sentence is not significantly reduced.
The doping charges against Gomez relate to abnormalities found in his test results while representing Sevilla in the knockout stages of last season’s Europa League. Sevilla won the final on penalties and became the tournament’s champions.
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The same result happened in the 2022 World Cup final against France, where Gomez was part of the Argentina squad. Argentina and Messi triumph in Qatar.
Liverpool star Alexis McAllister was also part of Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad. Mike Allister, who was still playing for Brighton at the time, celebrated the achievement shortly before his 24th birthday.His success, coupled with Brighton’s Europa League qualification, resulted in $42m (£35m/€40m) Moved to Liverpool in the summer.
However, Mike Allister is unlikely to lose his World Cup winners’ medal despite Gomez’s suspension. Under Article 11 of the World Anti-Doping Code, an individual player’s national team or club does not risk being stripped of his title unless two or more players are convicted of doping.
Putting that worry aside, Mike Allister can now focus on upcoming fixtures, including the much-anticipated Merseyside derby against Everton. He returned to training in time from international duty and is ready to contribute to Liverpool’s success on the pitch.
liverpool.com says: Doping scandals not only affect individual athletes but also damage the reputation of the sport as a whole. The authorities must continue to work to uphold fair play and integrity in football and ensure that such incidents are thoroughly investigated and appropriate penalties are imposed where appropriate.
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