Swiss federal judge clears Peru captain to play

GENEVA:

Peru captain Paolo Guerrero was cleared to play at the World Cup by a Swiss supreme court judge despite a doping ban.

Switzerland’s supreme court granted an interim order to freeze Guerrero’s 14-month ban for a positive test for cocaine metabolites at a World Cup qualifying game.

“As a result, Paolo Guerrero can take part in the next World Cup,” the federal court said, noting the tournament could be “without any doubt the crowning glory of his career”.

The judge, Christina Kiss, took into account that, at 34, Guerrero should not miss his first opportunity to play at the World Cup.

Guerrero’s urgent request to the federal court was helped by FIFA and the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA), according to the court.

“Neither one nor the other was categorically opposed (to him playing),” the court said.

Kiss wrote in an eight-page judgment how Guerrero benefited from a “rare surge of solidarity” to support his case.

That included a letter signed by captains of Peru’s three World Cup opponents – France, Denmark and Australia – urging he be allowed to play.

She also noted a possible negative effect on Guerrero’s teammates of being deprived of their “emblematic” captain.

The interim ruling puts the ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on hold until full consideration of the case at a later date in federal court.

The verdict came four days ahead of FIFA’s Monday deadline for Peru to finalise their 23-man World Cup squad. — AP