Gabriel 'Gabigol' Barbosa allowed to play pending doping ban appeal

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Brazilian soccer player Gabriel Barbosa can resume playing pending an appeal against his ban for a breach of doping rules, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Tuesday.

The Flamengo and Brazil forward, known as Gabigol, is challenging a two-year ban imposed in March by an anti-doping tribunal in Brazil.

He was judged to have evaded a doping control in April 2023 and banned until April next year. He denied a charge of doping fraud.

The CAS said its panel of judges "has issued an order granting the request to stay the execution of the challenged decision filed by Gabriel Barbosa."

The court gave no timetable for an appeal hearing and verdict in the case.

"I stress that I never tried to obstruct or fraud any test. I trust that I will be found not guilty in my appeal," Barbosa said in March.

Barbosa played in the Brazil team that won the 2016 Olympics gold medal as the home team in Rio de Janeiro, then aged 19 joined Inter Milan. He returned to Brazil in 2019 with Flamengo and has helped the Rio club win two Copa Libertadores titles.

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