By David Gold
October 14 – FIFA has welcomed the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) decision to abandon its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against world football’s governing body for not punishing five Mexican players who tested positive for clenbuterol prior to the CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier this year.
Antonio Naelson, Christian Bermudez, Edgar Duenas, Francisco Javier Rodriguez and Guillermo Ochoa were sent home by Mexico after they were found to have failed a drugs test at a training camp before the Gold Cup.
It was later discovered by the Mexican Football Association after an internal disciplinary committee investigation that the five tested positive as a result of eating contaminated chicken.
Mexico eventually won the tournament, beating the hosts United States 4-2 in the final after having trailed by two goals early on, but FIFA did not punish their banished players because of the circumstances in which they tested positive for the substance.
WADA said in a statement that FIFA had sent them evidence from this year’s under-17 World Cup, which was held in Mexico and also won by the hosts with a 2-0 victory against Uruguay in the final, that there are problems with meat being contaminated with clenbuterol in the country.
”The Government of Mexico – which has legislation forbidding the use of steroids with livestock – accepts that it has an issue with contaminated meat and is actively looking to resolve the problem state by state,” WADA said.
”WADA applauds FIFA for the further research it has initiated, while WADA, the Mexican Football Federation and the Mexican Government have agreed to assist with the study which will continue as a joint project.”
On its website, FIFA said that they “express satisfaction with the decision taken by WADA to withdraw its appeal.
“This announcement by WADA confirms the initial decision taken by the Mexican Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee to clear the players of any wrongdoing, which FIFA completely agreed with and supported after carefully looking at the case.
“The studies conducted by FIFA showed the correctness of the footballers’ claim that the positive samples were the result of meat they had ingested at a training camp ahead of the tournament.
“FIFA would also like to thank WADA for positively considering the studies and research conducted by FIFA in this matter, including compelling evidence from a FIFA study at the U-17 World Cup in Mexico that indicates a serious health problem in Mexico with regard to meat contaminated with clenbuterol.”
FIFA President Sepp Blatter also reiterated his and the organisation’s determination to keep football clean.
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