CAS definitively cancels suspension of Cruzeiro striker; player had been acting under suspension since 2024
Cruzeiro forward Gabigol was acquitted of charges of cheating in a doping test. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the player’s appeal against the Federal Government of Brazil and the Brazilian Doping Control Authority (ABCD).
The suspension imposed was therefore definitively annulled. In a unanimous vote, the Court annulled the punishment, and there is no further appeal. Gabigol was given a ban from 2024 until April of this year. However, the player could train and play, thanks to a suspensive effect in force until the date of the appeal.
In its decision, the CAS admits that the forward’s behavior was not “fully collaborative”, but that the case cannot be treated as tampering, according to the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), and does not reach the threshold of a violation.
“The Panel emphasized that this type of behavior could have constituted a violation if the DCOs had notified the athlete adequately, or adopted a firmer stance, making it clear that they would not tolerate delays or obstructions,” reads an excerpt from the note released by CAS.
Given the current situation, Gabigol is free to train and play normally. The player left Flamengo after failing to reach an agreement for a renewal and signed with Cruzeiro. This season, he has scored nine goals and four assists in 22 games played.
Understand Gabigol’s case
The player was accused of hindering the anti-doping test at Flamengo’s training center, in a surprise approach. Gabigol took the test and tested negative, but the article provides that the behavior reported by the collection officers fits the bill as “fraud or attempted fraud by any party to the process.” The incident took place on April 8, 2023, at Ninho do Urubu. Gabigol responded under article 122 of the Brazilian Anti-Doping Code and received a two-year suspension, valid until April of this year. However, the player obtained a suspensive effect, which was in force until the appeal was judged.
