Peru's Guerrero gets 1-year ban for doping, misses World Cup

By AP
Published

ZURICH (AP) Peru captain Paolo Guerrero will miss the World Cup after FIFA banned him for one year over a positive test for cocaine.

The suspension imposed by FIFA's disciplinary committee covers ''all types of matches'' and was backdated to start on Nov. 3, soccer's world body said on Friday.

Guerrero tested positive for ''cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine,'' a banned stimulant, after a World Cup qualifying game in Argentina on Oct. 5.

He can appeal to FIFA to overturn the ban. If that fails, Guerrero and Peru's soccer federation have a further legal route at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Guerrero was Peru's joint top scorer with five goals in qualifying as the team surged late in the South American group.

When FIFA provisionally banned Guerrero while prosecuting the case, he missed Peru's decisive intercontinental playoff win over New Zealand.

Peru was drawn last week in a World Cup group with France, Denmark and Australia.

The 33-year-old Guerrero's club is Flamengo in Brazil.