RIO DE JANEIRO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa has been banned for two years for attempting to cheat an anti-doping test, a Brazilian sports tribunal said on Monday.
The 27-year-old, known as Gabigol, allegedly ignored an initial request to present a urine sample during a random visit by testers at the club's Rio de Janeiro headquarters last April.
He eventually took the test hours after his teammates, but is accused of disrespecting the officers and failing to comply with their instructions.
"The aforementioned footballer was judged today by the Anti-Doping Sports Court of Justice and, by a majority vote, it was decided that a violation of the anti-doping rule of attempted fraud had occurred," the Brazilian Doping Control Authority said.
The entity added that the ban's starting point would be backdated to the time of the offense, meaning he will be free to resume playing on April 8, 2025.
Gabigol denied any wrongdoing and vowed to appeal the decision.
"Despite my respect for the court, I stress that I never tried to obstruct or cheat any test. I trust that I will be found not guilty in my appeal," he said on social media.
"Since the beginning of my career as a footballer, I always followed the rules of the game and I never used prohibited substances. I have been a subject of dozens of tests, they all came negative, which shows my commitment with my club and with Brazilian fans."
Gabigol's defense team argued that a blood test taken at the time showed he was clean, insisting that his surly behavior did not mean he intended to deceive the officers.
Flamengo issued a statement later on Monday, insisting there was "no fraud or even attempted fraud".
"The club received the decision with surprise and will help the player in his representation at the Court of Arbitration for Sport," it said.
Gabigol has scored 143 goals in 261 appearances across all competitions for Flamengo following his January 2019 arrival from Santos.
During that time he has helped the club to two Brazilian Serie A titles and two Copa Libertadores trophies.
The former Inter Milan and Benfica player earned the most recent of his 18 Brazil caps in January 2022. ■
