[Saba Sports News] According to Australian media reports, Socceroos international Cristian Volpato has been charged with returning a positive cocaine test while driving in Sydney. The 22-year-old footballer was pulled over on the Anzac Bridge at around 1 a.m. behind the wheel of a BMW coupé. The speed limit on the stretch is 60 km/h, yet he was allegedly travelling at 109 km/h. He underwent a roadside drug test, which produced a positive result for cocaine. Volpato has been issued a speeding notice, and his International Driving Permit has been suspended for six months, meaning he is prohibited from driving in New South Wales. Police have collected a second oral fluid sample for further laboratory analysis and confirmed the investigation remains ongoing. Police allege that just a few hours earlier, at approximately 11 p.m. the previous night, Volpato was stopped for speeding in the same area. At that time, he took a roadside breath alcohol test, which came back negative.
The 22-year-old Sassuolo midfielder made headlines earlier this year when he switched his international allegiance from Italy to Australia ahead of the World Cup. Football Australia enforces a strict anti-doping policy through Sport Integrity Australia. Players and officials who test positive for prohibited substances without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) face bans of up to four years. If the consumption occurs out of competition and is unrelated to sporting performance, the sanction can be reduced to three months.