The one-year suspension imposed on Peruvian Paolo Guerrero —as a doping penalty— has been "reduced to six months," FIFA announced Wednesday in a press release, which means the athlete will be allowed to play the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The
suspension period starts on November 3, 2017, the date on which the player was provisionally suspended by FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
Therefore, the 33-year-old athlete will be allowed to resume his soccer career on May 4 and later join the national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia (June 14-July 15), where Peru is placed in
Group C, along with Denmark, France, and Australia.
As is known, the player had tested positive for metabolite benzoylecgonine —a substance included in WADA's 2017 Prohibited List under the class "S6. Stimulants"— following a match against
Argentina last October.
Thus, Peru's national soccer team captain exercised
his defense before FIFA —supported by his lawyers and a biochemist— during an audience held in Zurich on November 30.
The star's defense had the task of demonstrating —with evidence— that he had never used cocaine or coca tea (both banned by FIFA) but
drank a contaminated tea.
The reduction now allows the player to make his dream of playing at the
2018 World Cup come true.
(END) FGM/MVB