Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa cleared by CAS in doping rules case

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa’s two-year ban in a doping rules case was annulled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday.

Known as Gabigol, he allegedly evaded a doping control in April 2023 while playing for Flamengo. He denied any wrongdoing. Brazil’s anti-doping tribunal imposed the suspension but CAS allowed Barbosa to continue playing while he appealed.

CAS, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, cleared Barbosa by unanimous decision.

“Two of the toughest years of my life, being unfairly accused for something I never did,” Barbosa said in a statement. “No prohibited substance was found, but they still wanted to punish me for an alleged attitude. Justice was done. But the wound stays.”

The 28-year-old Barbosa played in the Brazil team that won the 2016 Olympics gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. At age 19, he joined Inter Milan but returned to Brazil in 2019 and helped Rio-based Flamengo win two Copa Libertadores.

In January he signed with Cruzeiro.

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