By Andrew Warshaw in Belo Horizonte
June 22 – Costa Rica’s football federation has sent a letter to FIFA demanding an explanation for why so many of its players were required to take dope tests following their stunning victory over Italy that qualified them for the last 16 of the World Cup for only the second time in their history.
No fewer than seven Costa Rica players were tested after Friday’s 1-0 win, angering team officials who said it could lead people to believe that the team were suspected of taking a performance-enhancing substance.
The president of Costa Rica’s selection committee, Adrian Gutierrez, said: “We believe in, accept and trust doping controls that FIFA carries out, but we want an explanation as to why so many of the players were called in.”
Gutierrez said it gave an “image of suspicion that Costa Rican players are doping.”
FIFA responded by saying making so many players undergo tests was standard procedure, explaining that two players were called for the post-match anti-doping tests as usual while the remaining five needed to be tested for their so-called biological passports.
More than 90% of the players at the World Cup were tested for the biological passports before the tournament, while the remainder, including the five Costa Ricans, have to be tested during the competition.
Having made sure England were eliminated with their victory over the Italians, the Costa Ricans meet Roy Hodgson’s team here Tuesday knowing that it could get even better and that they would win the group with a third straight success.
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