Australia international Cristian Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine after being stopped by police twice in the same night in Sydney. The midfielder represented the Socceroos at this summer's World Cup in North America.
Police stops and drug test
NSW police report that Volpato was stopped for the first time at around 11pm local time for travelling between 86-94km/h in a 60km/h zone. He took a roadside breathalyser, which was negative.
Just a couple of hours later, at around 1am, the 22-year-old in a BMW Coupe was said to have been stopped again after allegedly travelling at 109 km/h on the 60/km/h limited Anzac Bridge. This time, a roadside drug test allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine, with a second sample taken for further analysis.
Penalties and investigation
Volpato was handed a speeding fine and is reported to have had his international driver's licence suspended for six months, meaning that he is not permitted to drive in New South Wales. He has not been charged with a criminal offence, and the police have confirmed they will continue their enquiries.
World Cup involvement
The midfielder played three times for Australia during their World Cup campaign. After being an unused substitute for the opening game against Turkey, he featured in the other two group games against the USA and Paraguay, as well as the round of 32 penalty shootout loss vs Egypt.
Allegiance switch and statement
Volpato switched allegiances to Australia back in May, having represented Italy at youth level. His only international appearance for the nation before the World Cup came in a warm-up match against Switzerland in June.
In a statement, relayed by Australian outlet ABC, Australia football said it "was aware of the allegations involving one of our players." They added: "We have been in contact with the player and continue to monitor the matter and support the player throughout this process."
Background
The 22-year-old was born and raised in Sydney, but moved to Italy in 2020 to join Roma's youth system. He joined fellow Serie A side Sassuolo in 2023, making 26 appearances in all competitions last season.
