Union's Soon-To-Be Signed Lionard Pajoy Has Drug Test Muddied Past

[Editor's note: The original version of this article was hidden from public consumption after a contention by the Philadelphia Union that portions of it were "inaccurate." We at the Brotherly Game and SB Nation removed the article and underwent a secondary research process to draw our own conclusions as to the validity of the article in question. After revising the article due to ambiguity in a Juan Carlos Osorio interview, we informed the club of our intentions to republish the article with the edits deemed reasonable based upon evidence available for public discourse. Despite these efforts, the team remains in opposition to the content of this article, but chose not to issue a comment for quotation within it.]

The Philadelphia Union have tried to stay away from off-the-field controversy since the franchise was created, but a soon-to-be new signing will prevent the club from keeping its completely family friendly image.

Lionardo Pajoy was revealed to be the Union's next acquisition, when Kerith Gabriel wrote that a source informed him of the Colombian striker's move to Philadelphia. A successful time with Colombian top division side Itagui Ditaires last year drew the interest of the Union, who are possibly preparing for the loss of star striker Sebastien Le Toux to Bolton Wanderers later this week.

While Pajoy's on-the-field play may be noteworthy, it's a piece of his off-the-field past that may been concerning. The 30-year-old was suspended for six months, by the South American Football Confederation, in 2007 after allegedly failing a drug test. Pajoy reportedly failed a drug test after he equalized against Uruguay's Nacional for Cucuta in a Copa Libertadores game.

Colombian news outlets reported that Pajoy had been found to have benzoylecgonine, or cocaine metabolite (which is typically found after a person uses the drug), in a urine sample. Along with his ban, Pajoy received a $5,000 fine from the regional soccer governing board.

Despite the findings of the SAFC, Pajoy declared his innocence in the public forum and was supported throughout his suspension by his teammates and club ownership group.