RIO DE JANEIRO, May 18 -- Flamengo have suspended the contract of Peru captain Paolo Guerrero following a decision to extend his doping ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The Brazilian club's stance is in line with local legislation that allows clubs to stop salary payments to players who are ineligible for three months or more, a Flamengo spokesperson said on Friday.
Guerrero, who tested positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine last October, had his six-month ban extended to 14 months by a CAS panel on Monday following an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The decision rules him out of the World Cup in Russia, which starts on June 14. Peru qualified for the tournament for the first time in 36 years by beating New Zealand in an inter-continental playoff last November.
Guerrero, who says he unwittingly consumed the substance in contaminated tea, has said his lawyers are "considering all options" to contest the CAS decision and clear his name.
The 34-year-old will be eligible to play again in January but his contract with Flamengo expires in August. The Rio de Janeiro giants have not said if they will offer the former Bayern Munich forward a new deal.