Australia midfielder Cristian Volpato has allegedly tested positive for cocaine after being stopped by police for speeding.
The 22-year-old, who recently competed at the World Cup, was pulled over twice whilst driving in Sydney by officers on Thursday night.
Volpato was stopped in a BMW Coupe on the Anzac Bridge at 11.05pm after he was caught driving between 86kmh and 94kmh in a 60kmh zone, New South Wales police said.
When subjected to a roadside breath test, the Sassuolo star returned a negative result.
Positive test
However, he allegedly tested positive for cocaine when stopped for a second time two hours later.
The latter stop occurred in the same 60kmh zone, with Volpato said to have been travelling at 109kmh at the time.
Police said Volpato was subsequently issued with an infringement notice for driving at excess speed.
His international driver’s licence has also been suspended for six months.
This prevents the Socceroos international from driving in the state of New South Wales.
Police inquiries are also set to continue with a secondary sample of oral fluid taken for further analysis.
Australia star
The incident comes just three weeks on from Australia’s World Cup exit.
Tony Popovic’s side were beaten on penalties in the round of 32 by Egypt on July 3.
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Volpato started the match, one of three appearances he made in North America this summer.
The Camperdown-born starlet was included in Australia’s World Cup squad after switching his international allegiance on the eve of the tournament.
He had previously represented Italy at youth level, having qualified for the Azzurri through his grandparents.
Despite turning down a senior Australia call-up in the past, he was included in Popovic’s 26-man squad for the World Cup.
Volpato currently has four Socceroos caps to his name following the tournament.
Meanwhile, he has played his club football in Italy since 2020, first joining Roma before a move to Sassuolo three years ago.
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Australia return to action in September with a pair of friendlies against Brazil in Townsville and Brisbane.
The Socceroos will then turn their attention to the Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia in January.
