Former Manchester United, Newcastle and Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi faces a one-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance.
Rossi, 31, tested positive for a substance which, in certain cases — and only with official consent — may still be taken, in a random doping test following Genoa’s 1-0 defeat to Benevento on May 12. Rossi did not have any special dispensation for its use.
A hearing on Oct. 1 will determine whether the former Italy international will be sanctioned, with the state prosecutor calling for a one-year ban after receiving evidence from Italy’s National Anti-Doping Organisation.
Italy’s National Olympic Committee confirmed to ESPN FC on Tuesday that Rossi had failed a doping test.
Meanwhile, Genoa coach Giuseppe Ballardini is certain his former forward is innocent.
“I’m not certain of many things in life,” Ballardini said in a news conference. “One certainty I have though is that Rossi did not use banned substances — it is beyond any reasonable doubt.”
Rossi, whose career has been blighted by injuries, is a free agent after being released by Genoa in the summer. He made only nine appearances for the Rossoblu, scoring one goal.
He previously tried to resurrect his career following a serious knee injury with a loan spell at Levante, for whom he scored six goals in 17 appearances in the second half of the 2015-16 season.
Prior to that, he spent three seasons at Fiorentina and was under consideration by then Italy coach Cesare Prandelli for his 2014 World Cup squad, but he did not make the final selection due to concerns over his fitness.
Just a few months later, the New Jersey native suffered the second of three cruciate knee ligament injuries in his career.
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