Guerrero, 33, who plays for Flamengo in Brazil,
had been suspended by FIFA on Dec. 8 for a year after testing
positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine after Peru’s 0-0
draw away to Argentina in October.
World soccer's governing body reduced the ban to six months on
Wednesday, but Guerrero is still not happy.
"Obviously I am not relieved, it’s important to me to keep
(fighting) to prove my innocence," he told Reuters TV on
Thursday in Rio de Janeiro.
"I am not calm now because they reduced the ban, I am going to
continue fighting to prove my innocence. It really is an
injustice that they punished me as I have showed I am innocent
all along, I proved it, and we will keep proving it until they
absolve me."
"They cut the legs from under me," Guerrero added. "I did
absolutely nothing wrong."
Guerrero claimed the positive test was due to contamination and
vowed to be back in action in 2018.
The former Bayern Munich and Hamburg SV forward, who has scored
42 goals for Flamengo since moving to Brazil in 2015, gives the
Peru attack a much-needed physical presence and has a
galvanizing effect on their less experienced players.
The 0-0 draw with Argentina was a crucial result for Peru, who
qualified for the Russia World Cup for the first time since
1982.
The South American side have been drawn in a group with France,
Denmark and Australia.
(Writing by Andrew Downie; Editing by Toby Davis)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|