Brazilian footballer Gabriel Barbosa, widely known as Gabigol, has been exonerated of wrongdoing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which on Friday overturned a two-year doping ban imposed earlier this year.
The 28-year-old forward was initially sanctioned by Brazil’s Anti-Doping Tribunal in March 2024 after being accused of attempting to manipulate the outcome of a surprise doping test while playing for Flamengo.
The panel claimed Gabigol had acted in a disruptive manner during the testing process, which took place in April 2023.
Barbosa challenged the ruling before the Switzerland-based CAS, which allowed him to continue playing while the appeal was under review.
In its final decision, the court concluded that although his conduct was uncooperative, it did not amount to tampering under the World Anti-Doping Code and therefore did not constitute a formal breach.
According to the initial allegations, Gabigol failed to appear for the morning session of testing with his Flamengo teammates, instead showing up later in the day.
He reportedly became irritated when a doping official accompanied him to the toilet and failed to comply with proper sample collection procedures.
Despite these claims, Gabigol consistently denied any attempt to interfere with the process or evade detection.
A key player in Flamengo’s triumphs in the 2019 Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores, Gabigol joined Cruzeiro at the beginning of this year. The former Inter Milan striker has earned 18 caps for Brazil, though he hasn’t represented the national side since 2022.
