Cristian Volpato's summer has taken a sharp and unwelcome turn. Weeks after helping Australia through the group stage at the FIFA World Cup, the Sassuolo winger allegedly returned a positive roadside test for cocaine during a late-night traffic stop in Sydney, and has had his international driver's licence suspended for six months.
New South Wales Police stopped Volpato twice in the space of two hours on the Anzac Bridge, one of Sydney's main harbour crossings. The first stop came just after 11pm on Thursday, when he was clocked doing 86-94 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. He was fined and passed a breath alcohol test at the scene.
A little over two hours later, at around 1.10am on Friday, police stopped him again on the same bridge, this time allegedly travelling at 109 km/h — close to 50 km/h over the limit. A roadside drug test taken during that second stop allegedly returned a positive reading for cocaine, according to a police statement reported by Australian outlets including SBS News.
A secondary oral fluid sample was taken for laboratory confirmation, the standard follow-up procedure in New South Wales before any formal charge is laid. As things stand, Volpato has not been charged with a criminal offence — the immediate consequence has been the six-month suspension of his licence.
ONE, the Israeli outlet that first flagged the story locally, reported the incident under the player's name as "Christian" Volpato; his correct playing name, as registered with Sassuolo, the Australian federation and FIFA, is Cristian Volpato.
The 22-year-old was one of the more talked-about figures of Australia's World Cup, having switched international allegiance from Italy — where he had represented the Azzurrini at Under-19 and Under-20 level — to the Socceroos shortly before the tournament. He made three appearances at the finals.
Born in the Sydney suburb of Camperdown, Volpato came through Roma's academy before joining Sassuolo, where he remains under contract in Serie A. Neither the club nor Football Australia had issued a public statement on the matter at the time of writing.
The episode is an awkward one for a player who had used the World Cup to raise his profile after a modest run of club form, and it now leaves a cloud over his return to pre-season training in Italy.
