Alejandro Gomez, the Monza midfielder who also represented Argentina at the international level, addressed his two-year ban on his social media platform. The veteran midfielder stressed that he has never trusted forbidden substances and explained that the detected substance in his system was terbutaline, which he says he accidentally swallowed with a spoonful of cough syrup while trying to help his son with a persistent cough. He noted that terbutaline is permitted for professional athletes under certain conditions and does not provide any performance advantage, a claim he conveyed to his followers with emphasis on his own responsibility in the incident.
The case traces back to a doping test from November 2022, in the weeks leading up to the World Cup in Qatar, a tournament that Argentina ultimately won. Gomez disclosed that the test returned a positive result and that he had taken a children’s cough syrup without the approval of the club’s medical staff. At the time, he was playing for Sevilla in Spain. He explained that both the player and the club were aware of the ongoing doping case for several months and had received a formal notification from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) regarding the matter. The disclosure underscores the complexities athletes face when everyday medicines enter a competitive sports environment, and it highlights the importance of medical oversight and athlete education to avoid inadvertent violations.
In parallel developments, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) have been cited in discussions surrounding compliance and sanctions frameworks. WADA has projected that adherence to established anti-doping standards remains non-negotiable for elite athletes, while RUSADA continues to participate in regulatory dialogues at the international level. This broader context reflects the ongoing global effort to harmonize testing, transparency, and timely communication of results among national and international bodies, teams, and players. For Gomez, the episode serves as a reminder of the careful balance required between medical treatment and maintaining eligibility in high-stakes competitive sport, and it accentuates the need for clear protocols when a family’s health concerns intersect with professional obligations.