Cristian Volpato Tests Positive for Cocaine in Sydney

Australia midfielder Cristian Volpato, who has made a notable impression in international football, has found himself in a troubling situation after allegedly testing positive for cocaine following a speeding incident in Sydney.

The 22-year-old athlete, who plays club football for Italian Serie A side Sassuolo, represented Australia at the World Cup, featuring in four matches and notably starting the round of 32 game where Australia faced Egypt.

According to reports from New South Wales (NSW) police, Volpato’s first encounter with law enforcement occurred on the Anzac Bridge at approximately 11:05 PM local time on Thursday. The vehicle he was driving was reportedly clocked at speeds between 86-94 km/h (53.4-58.4 mph) in a zone where the speed limit is 60 km/h (37.2 mph).

During this initial traffic stop, Volpato successfully passed a roadside breath test but was issued an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit by over 20 km/h.

However, the situation escalated when police stopped the same vehicle again just over two hours later on the same bridge, this time recording a speed of 109 km/h (67.7 mph) in the same 60 km/h zone.

At this second stop, Volpato was subjected to a roadside drug test, which he allegedly failed, returning a positive result for cocaine. A secondary oral fluid sample was subsequently collected for further analysis.

Following the incident, he received another infringement notice for speeding, and his international driver’s license was suspended for six months, prohibiting him from driving in NSW. Notably, he has not yet been charged with any criminal offenses related to these events.

Inquiries into the incident are still ongoing as authorities work to gather more information. Meanwhile, responses from Sassuolo, Football Australia, and Volpato’s representatives have been sought for further clarification on the matter.

Born in Sydney and of Italian descent, Volpato enjoyed an impressive youth career, having spent time at the academy of Serie A club Roma and representing Italy at various youth levels. He chose to play for Australia at the senior level and made his first appearance ahead of the World Cup in June, where he also started in a friendly against Switzerland.