Gabigol gets two years suspended after attempted anti-doping fraud

Gabriel Barbosa, better known as Gabigol, was suspended for two years for drug test fraud. The trial, which began last week, was concluded this Monday, 25th, by the Anti-Doping Sports Court. The information is from the Globo Esporte website.

The penalty came into effect on April 8, 2023, when exams were collected at Flamengo’s CT. As a result, the player is prevented from playing until April 2025, but an appeal can still be made to the Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS). The trial, in fact, was very tight, with the score of 5 to 4 in favor of punishing the athlete.

Due to a technical issue provided for in the Brazilian Anti-Doping Code, Gabigol can play in April 2025, before completing two calendar years. Selma Melo, the vice-president of the Anti-Doping Court of Justice, explained that the code establishes an article that deals with the beginning of the suspension period:

“In the event of substantial delays in the results management procedure and, when demonstrated by the athlete or another person that they did not cause such delays, ABCD or TJD-AD, as applicable, may establish the beginning of the suspension period: I – on the date of sample collection;”. (Excerpts taken from the Brazilian Anti-Doping Code).

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Understand the case

Gabigol was accused of making it difficult to take the exam. He was charged based on article 122 of the Brazilian Anti-Doping Code, which has a maximum penalty of a four-year suspension. The episode that generated the case against the attacker took place on April 8, 2023, the day before a game against Fluminense in the Carioca final.

On that occasion, the Brazilian Doping Control Authority (ABCD) went to Ninho do Urubu, Flamengo’s CT, to carry out a surprise test, out of competition, and the doping control officers, responsible for collecting samples from the players, reported several negative situations involving the player.

According to reports, Gabigol did not go to the Officials before training and ignored their presence after training. He went to lunch and didn’t call to take the exam. The athlete also allegedly treated the team with disrespect, indignant because he was always on the exam list. Afterwards, the player showed up unannounced, took the pot to collect the urine sample without telling anyone, and a control officer had to run after him in the bathroom, as they need to have visual contact while the athlete urinates in the bathroom. cup to prove that he did not use urine from another place or another person to be tested.

The complaint against Gabigol was made at the end of December, and the defense was sent on January 26th. The player was represented by the team of lawyer Bichara Neto, and had attached images from the security camera at the Ninho do Urubu Training Center to corroborate the athlete’s version.

On the 20th, the first session of the trial was held. The trial was carried out online by the Sports Anti-Doping Court (TJD-AD), and Gabigol gave testimony via videoconference, as did seven other witnesses. After five hours of trial, the court decided to close the session and continue this Monday, also online. Gabigol also participated in today’s session, and one of his defense points is that the player underwent a blood test, which is considered more effective.

Official note from Flamengo

“The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, taking note of the result of the trial of its athlete Gabriel Barbosa, in the sense of applying a 2-year suspension sentence, until April 2025, by 5 votes for conviction and 4 for acquittal, comes public say that he received the said decision with surprise and that he will assist the athlete in presenting an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as he understands that there was no type of fraud, not even an attempt, to justify the punishment applied.”