Socceroos star Volpato fails cocaine test after speeding twice
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- Cristian Volpato, 22, was stopped in a BMW Coupe on Sydney's Anzac Bridge at 11:05pm Thursday for travelling 86-94km/h in a 60km/h zone; a roadside breath test returned negative.
- New South Wales police stopped Volpato a second time roughly two hours later at 109km/h in the same 60km/h zone, where he allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine.
- NSW police issued Volpato an infringement notice for excess speed and suspended his international driver's licence for six months, meaning he cannot drive in NSW.
- Police inquiries will continue, with a secondary oral fluid sample taken for further analysis; BBC Sport has approached Football Australia and Sassuolo for comment.
- Volpato played in three of Australia's four World Cup matches before the Socceroos were eliminated by Egypt in a round-of-32 penalty shootout.
- Volpato switched allegiance from Italy's youth setup to Australia in May, and has been at Serie A side Sassuolo since 2023, making 24 league appearances last season as they finished 11th.
Why it matters: A positive secondary sample could trigger disciplinary action from Football Australia and Sassuolo, putting the midfielder's international and club careers in jeopardy just months after he committed to Australia and featured at the World Cup. The six-month NSW driving ban is immediate, but the cocaine allegation is the far heavier blow.
