Víctor Guzmán: An unhappy return home

Víctor Guzmán.
On February 3 one of the biggest talents of Mexican football will turn 25, today he can’t play because of ban imposed over a possible doping case.

Guzmán’s return home started as a party and ended up in a sporting tragedy.

He started playing soccer in the junior teams of Guadalajara, yet the club did not see huge potential in him and when he was still very young he was sold to Pachuca, where he became a playmaker and won a Liga MX title with a goal he scored against Monterrey (Clausura 2016). He even became a regular in Mexico’s National team.

After several failed attempts, for the tournament that has just begun, Chivas got “Pocho” for an unofficial figure between 10 and 12 million USD.

The red and white team signed seven players in total, of which Guzmán seemed like the most promising bet. 

However, everything started to crumble in a mysterious way when just before the team’s debut in Week 1, he was not in the roster and there was no public announcement. Coach Luis Fernando Tena only said it was due to “personal reasons”.

Immediately after this, rumors and speculation started. Two days later it was informed that the midfielder had shown an Adverse Analytical Finding in a Anti-Doping test, conducted on August 10 after the match between Querétaro and Pachuca of the Apertura 2019 season.

The scandal erupted and ‘Pocho’s transfer to Chivas was cancelled. Tuzo then had to return the two million dollars advance they had received for the player.

The Anti-Doping controls of Liga MX are made in the Anti-Doping Lab of Havana, Cuba that is certified by WADA. When an athlete shows an Adverse Analytical Finding, he or she can ask for sample “B” to be opened.

If the presence of an illegal substance is confirmed, then it will turn in to a positive doping case and the athlete will face a trial to establish the proper punishment.

And this is precisely where Víctor is right now, between waiting and suffering, he has received the public support of Pachuca and via social media he denied using and illegal substance…at least in a premeditated way.

“I have always been a player that has rejected any illegal practice and have announced my support for the Anti-Doping fight. This is way this situation is completely unbelievable, and I’m deeply saddened.

“We will ask for the opening of the B sample, with our hope being that we can prove this is all a terrible mistake and I can resume playing. In any case, I want to be clear, I have never taken any substance to enhance my performance and I will fight till the end to prove my innocence and that way keep doing what I like the most and what makes me happy: play football”, Guzmán posted.

According to the World Anti-Doping Code, in case sample “B” is also positive, ‘Pocho’ could face a punishment that would go from two to four years of suspension, which can be reduced in a 75% if it is demonstrated that the taking of the substance was not premeditated.

Liga MX’s president, Enrique Bonilla, revealed the substance is alkaloid, without stating the specific name. The player will receive a notification to go to Havana to open the B sample.

In just a few days, Chivas’ top signing saw his world crumble.

On February 3, Víctor will turn 25 and one of Mexican football most promising careers can end abruptly, if everything goes wrong in a definite way.

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