Brazilian footballer Gabriel Barbosa, widely known as Gabigol, has been exonerated of wrongdoing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS , which on Friday overturned a two-year doping ban imposed earlier this year.
The 28-year-old forward was initially sanctioned by Brazils Anti-Doping Tribunal in March 2024 after being accused of attempting to manipulate the outcome of a surprise doping test while playing for Flamengo.
The panel claimed Gabigol had acted in a disruptive manner during the testing process, which took place in April 2023.
Barbosa challenged the ruling before the Switzerland-based CAS, which allowed him to continue playing while the appeal was under review.
In its final decision, the court concluded that although his conduct was uncooperative, it did not amount to tampering under the World Anti-Doping Code and therefore did not constitute a formal breach.