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Updated ,first published
Socceroos star Cristian Volpato allegedly tested positive to cocaine after being caught driving at almost 50km/h over the limit in Sydney overnight, hours after already being stopped by police and fined for speeding.
The 22-year-old – one of Australia’s brightest young football talents – was allegedly driving a BMW at 109km/h in a 60km/h zone across Anzac Bridge, west of Sydney’s CBD, just after 1am on Friday. He allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine after telling officers he had not taken drugs.
Volpato had been stopped two hours earlier on Anzac Bridge and issued an infringement notice after allegedly being caught driving more than 20km/h over the speed limit. He was estimated to be driving the BMW at between 86km/h and 94km/h in a 60km/h zone, police said in a statement. The 22-year-old returned a negative result to a roadside breath test.
A secondary sample of oral fluid was taken for further analysis following the positive roadside drug test.
Volpato’s international driver’s licence was suspended for six months. He has not been charged with a criminal offence.
Volpato was one of the Socceroos’ breakout stars at the World Cup, having made a shock decision on the eve of the tournament to switch his international allegiance from Italy to Australia.
Football Australia’s code of conduct prohibits any behaviour that “brings, or may bring” football into disrepute, and says those who fall under it will be regarded as having engaged in misconduct if they commit, or are charged with, a criminal offence.
The code also empowers Football Australia to impose a no-fault interim suspension if it believes the reputation of the game or the governing body itself would otherwise be harmed.
However, the Football Australia has not taken disciplinary action against Volpato. Instead, a spokesperson said the organisation was aware of the allegations against the 22-year-old and was supporting him as it continued to “monitor the matter”.
Tony Basha, a Sydney-based soccer coach who trained Volpato before he moved to Italy and remains a mentor to him, said the 22-year-old denied taking cocaine or any other illicit substance.
“He was adamant he didn’t touch it,” Basha told this masthead.
“He’s a great kid. I don’t think he’s done it.”
Basha said using illicit drugs would be “out of character” for Volpato, who had been celebrating a friend’s birthday at The Ivy in Sydney’s CBD on Thursday night.
“I’m disappointed for him because he’s a young kid,” Basha said.
“He was shocked. I’m shocked because it’s a big allegation.”
Born and raised in Sydney, Volpato told reporters at the World Cup of how his family “left everything” behind after he was released from the academies of Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers to take up a trial with Italian club AS Roma before making his Serie A debut at 18.
In 2023, Volpato was sold by Roma to Serie A rivals Sassuolo, and was believed to have been departing Sydney on Friday to begin pre-season training with his club. He has since been linked to a move to Fiorentina, now coached by Fabio Grosso, his former manager at Sassuolo, in this transfer window.
This masthead has attempted to contact Volpato through his management. Sassuolo has also been contacted.
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