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In that Atalanta that reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 Champions League, one of the protagonists, for his good performances, was the Argentine José Luis Palomino. Today, the 32-year-old defender is back in the headlines, but not precisely for his quality with the ball, but for having been indefinitely suspended after testing positive in an anti-doping test for nandrolone, an anabolic substance whose effects include muscle growth, appetite stimulation, and increased production of red blood cells and bone density.
According to Italian press, the anti-doping test was conducted by surprise during the team's preparation for the start of the new season of the top category of Italian football in the second week of August. Palomino's result was a cold shower for the management.
The National Anti-Doping Tribunal decided to immediately suspend the 32-year-old defender, as required by the protocols of the organization and pending further verifications, as requested by the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) Prosecutor's Office and as is usual in these cases.
"In acceptance of the request proposed by the National Anti-Doping Prosecutor's Office, the precautionary suspension of athlete José Luis Palomino has been ordered for infringement of articles 2.1 and 2.2. The test was commissioned by NADO Italy," it is indicated in a statement.
NADO guidelines require the immediate suspension of the player pending further analysis and counter-analysis that demonstrate a possible confirmation of the found positivity or a negative result.
Palomino, who has played for teams in France, Bulgaria, and Italy throughout his career, recently renewed with Atalanta until 2025, after numerous rumors about the interest of other clubs in his signing, including French Rennes, which according to some media reports would be trying to negotiate with Atalanta.
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