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Peruvian football team captain Paolo Guerrero will spend his six-month suspension maintaining his physical shape in a training center in Argentina, the soccer legend has revealed.
During a press conference on Thursday, the 34-year-old striker said he had prepared an extreme workout regime in order to continue his training "without distraction."
"At all times, my intention was to train well – prepare well – since I cannot do it in any professional field, in my club in the Videna, so I will have the possibility to work in a neutral field," he said.
On Dec. 20, FIFA partially accepted a recourse presented by Guerrero, who said he was "surprised" by the test results, on the one-year suspension initially imposed by football's ruling body.
Guerrero tested positive for the metabolite benzoylecgonine, a substance linked to cocaine, after the preliminary 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia in Buenos Aires on Oct. 5, 2017.
He told the media he remains optimistic and hopes the Arbitration Court of Sport (TAS) will amend their ruling and further reduce his suspension, allowing Guerrero to compete against Croatia and Iceland in March.
The hearing in which the final decision will be announced is due to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland, before the end of March.
Defense Attorney Pedro Frida says he's confident his client will be proven innocent and Guerrero will reunite with his team in time to compete in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
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