Doping Shock for a Legend: Romarinho's 12-Month Ban Confirmed
14 January 2026
What happened
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) affirmed the Saudi anti-doping panel's decision to hear the doping case against Brazilian Romarinho, the former Al-Ittihad player.
The decision, announced in July 2025, ruled that Romarinho would be suspended for 12 months.
CAS decision and implications
The statement said that the CAS decision is final and binding, with no right to appeal after the arbitration body rejected the player's challenge and fully endorsed the Saudi anti-doping committee's decision.
The statement noted that the hearing took place at CAS's Lausanne headquarters, with rigorous deliberations by the panel, which rejected Romarinho's appeal filed on August 8, 2025.
The ruling confirmed the validity of the punishment, with him bearing arbitration costs to be determined later and communicated to the parties, in addition to paying a symbolic contribution toward the Saudi committee's expenses.
Context and impact
The Saudi Anti-Doping Committee had issued a sanction against Romarinho on March 6, 2025, after he tested positive for the drug clomiphene, suspending the player for 12 months from participating in any official competitions.
With CAS's confirmation, the suspension becomes effective and final, preventing Romarinho from playing during the ban, underscoring Saudi Arabia's commitment to international anti-doping standards and the integrity of competitions.
Punchline: CAS dropped the mic, not the ball.
Punchline 2: If integrity were a sport, the whistle would always be in CAS's hands.
