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FIFA claims harsher anti-doping code
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-18 14:02

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said Tuesday that his organization's drug rules are even harsher than WADA's global anti-doping code.


President of the World Anti- Doping Agency Dick Pound, seen here in 2003, said FIFA could face consequences if they did not implement a mandatory two-year ban for players who failed doping tests. [AFP]

Blatter said FIFA's policy of individual case management goes beyond the global minimum requirements for international sports federations.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said Monday that it was giving FIFA until September to comply with its rules, which recommend a mandatory two-year ban for doping offenses. WADA also said soccer's place in the Olympics would be at stake if FIFA didn't comply.

"FIFA's sanctions for doping offenses are, however, harsher in that every infringement, including positive results after out-of-competition tests and so-called designer drugs, carries a minimum suspension of six months," Blatter said in a statement.

Blatter said FIFA's policy of six-month suspensions was in compliance with the WADA code, and that his organization has exceeded the recommendations.

"FIFA went one step further in its campaign against doping by introducing blood as well as urine tests" at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Blatter said.

WADA cannot sanction organizations like FIFA, but it can recommend measures to governments and national soccer associations.

FIFA approved the world anti-doping code last year, and said WADA already has accepted that its regulations are in line with global standards.

"Our individual case management has been acknowledged by WADA," FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said. "Each case must be dealt with individually — that's why there is not automatically a two-year ban."

The WADA code, approved by international federations and national governments, sets out uniform rules against performance-enhancing drugs across all sports and all countries.



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