World Cup 2018: Peru captain Paolo Guerrero has drugs banned overturned and will lead the line in Russia


PERU captain Paolo Guerrero has had his drugs ban overturned and can now play at the World Cup.

The country’s all-time top scorer was slapped with a 14-month suspension by testing positive for cocaine and metabolite benzoylecgonine in December.

Peru captain Paolo Guerrero has had his drugs ban overturned
AFP or licensors

Guerrero, 34, was initially handed a six month cocaine ban but it was extended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Fifa accepted that Guerrero was an accidental doper after the striker was adamant that the cocaine had been in a contaminated tea.

Peru rallied behind their top scorer in World Cup qualifying that was backed by all three skippers of his Russia first round rivals.

Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, the captain of France, joined Denmark’s Simon Kjaer and Aston Villa and Australia midfielder Mile Jedinak in urging Fifa to lift Guerrero’s ban.

Paolo Guerrero will miss the World Cup after his drugs ban was upheld
Paolo Guerrero will be able to represent his country at the World Cup
Reuters
Paulo Guerrero remains the leading goal scorer in Peru history
Paulo Guerrero remains the leading goal scorer in Peru history
Reuters

And it has proved successful revealed by the Peru football federation on Twitter.

Posting a lengthy statement on Twitter, they shared the caption: “The Peruvian Football Federation shares with joy the statement of our player Paolo Guerrero on the decision of the Swiss Federal Court. Congratulations Paolo!”

The quantity of cocaine was small, and the most logical explanation would seem to be that he drank a tea brewed in a kettle already contaminated by contact with the coca leaf.

Peru open their World Cup account against Denmark on June 16 before taking on France five days later.

They’ll then be tasked with facing Australia in the third and final group game.


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