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31/08/2006
Chelsea fined over private drugs test
Premiership football club Chelsea have been fined £40,000 by the Football Association for privately drug testing players.
The FA penalised the Premiership champions for conducting a private test on striker Adrian Mutu on July 12, 2004, which was a breach of the FA's Doping Control Regulations.
Romanian striker Mutu was sacked by Chelsea in October 2004 after failing an official FA drugs test for cocaine.
He was fined £20,000 by the FA and received a seven-month ban.
However, it later emerged that Chelsea had tested the player privately beforehand, although that test was negative.
In a statement on Thursday, Chelsea criticised the FA's decision. The Blues said: "While we accept there was a technical breach of the doping regulations in this case, we find it extraordinary that we have been found guilty of trying to undermine the drug testing system. Moreover, the level of the fine is simply outrageous and totally unjustified and we will now consider an appeal.
"The Football Association would be better served using its resources to increasing the effectiveness of its random testing and applying the toughest penalties available in all drug related cases, rather than punishing those who act genuinely in the fight against drugs."
The statement continued: "Chelsea FC would never contravene any rules in order to cover-up drugs in sport. These rules are in place to punish those who seek to protect drug takers.
"Our stance in the Adrian Mutu case proves that our sole intention in conducting a private test was to protect football from a drug taker.
"Firstly, we had suspicions that this player was a regular user of a Class A drug and the FA random drug test procedures had failed to confirm this.
"Secondly, the player was not privately tested for performance enhancing drugs, only for recreational drugs.
"In the circumstances, the test on July 12, 2004 proved negative and an FA approved test was requested later that summer which was positive.
"The player's contract was then terminated and during the hearing into this failed test he also admitted to taking cocaine on at least seven occasions, vindicating our actions.
"Chelsea's position on drugs is very clear. We adopt a zero tolerance policy towards anybody who fails a drug test and then rejects the chance of help and rehabilitation when offered by the club."
Mutu subsequently signed for Italian club Juventus after leaving Chelsea.
He signed for fellow Italian club Fiorentina last month.
(KMcA/EF)
The FA penalised the Premiership champions for conducting a private test on striker Adrian Mutu on July 12, 2004, which was a breach of the FA's Doping Control Regulations.
Romanian striker Mutu was sacked by Chelsea in October 2004 after failing an official FA drugs test for cocaine.
He was fined £20,000 by the FA and received a seven-month ban.
However, it later emerged that Chelsea had tested the player privately beforehand, although that test was negative.
In a statement on Thursday, Chelsea criticised the FA's decision. The Blues said: "While we accept there was a technical breach of the doping regulations in this case, we find it extraordinary that we have been found guilty of trying to undermine the drug testing system. Moreover, the level of the fine is simply outrageous and totally unjustified and we will now consider an appeal.
"The Football Association would be better served using its resources to increasing the effectiveness of its random testing and applying the toughest penalties available in all drug related cases, rather than punishing those who act genuinely in the fight against drugs."
The statement continued: "Chelsea FC would never contravene any rules in order to cover-up drugs in sport. These rules are in place to punish those who seek to protect drug takers.
"Our stance in the Adrian Mutu case proves that our sole intention in conducting a private test was to protect football from a drug taker.
"Firstly, we had suspicions that this player was a regular user of a Class A drug and the FA random drug test procedures had failed to confirm this.
"Secondly, the player was not privately tested for performance enhancing drugs, only for recreational drugs.
"In the circumstances, the test on July 12, 2004 proved negative and an FA approved test was requested later that summer which was positive.
"The player's contract was then terminated and during the hearing into this failed test he also admitted to taking cocaine on at least seven occasions, vindicating our actions.
"Chelsea's position on drugs is very clear. We adopt a zero tolerance policy towards anybody who fails a drug test and then rejects the chance of help and rehabilitation when offered by the club."
Mutu subsequently signed for Italian club Juventus after leaving Chelsea.
He signed for fellow Italian club Fiorentina last month.
(KMcA/EF)
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