By Tony Attwood
The World Anti-Doping Agency is normally considered (at least in my house) to be one of the good parts of sport, particularly in taking on the old-chums act that is the IAAF, the world athletics body. Wada are the guys who have taken on Putin and Russia for its wholesale misuse of drugs and by and large seem to leave few stones unturned.
So the suggestion today that Uefa is questioning Wada’s competence is just so astounding that I really felt the need to raise the profile of what is going on.
Now in doing this I am taking a bit of a gamble, because the story has only just broken, and there might be something lurking in the shadows I have missed. So please don’t laugh too loudly if I have got this wrong, but this is what we have so far.
The Liverpool player Mamadou Sakho failed a drugs test and was temporarily suspended. Now that suspension has been lifted.
The explanation is that Uefa say they are launching their own investigation into whether the fat-burning substance the player has been shown to have taken should be on the banned list.
The implication of this is massive, for it means that instead of the Wada list being inviolable, and punishment automatic for anyone caught out, now Uefa, totally on its own, is doing its own investigation into the drug, and could well come up with the notion that there is nothing wrong with the drug vis a vis a sports person taking it.
It would then mean there is one list of banned substances for every other sport played internationally, and another one for European football.
Emphasising what it is doing, Uefa has said, “The player would thus be free to play as from tomorrow. A decision on the case will be made within the next few days.”
If this case continues down the route now set by Uefa, it means that every drugs cheat is free to use the “it shouldn’t be on the banned list” argument to get back onto the pitch quickly. So not only will we not have a system in which clubs are not criticised or punished if one of their players cheats, now we have a situation in which European football on its own, can step aside from all the rest of world sport, and say, “we don’t like your drugs rules.”
I have come across Uefa doing some very odd things over the years, but I think stepping outside of Wada’s list of banned substances it going to take football beyond the pale. I certainly can’t imagine Wada taking this lying down, and it could well start to retaliate if this move by Uefa continues.
We shall see how the story unfolds.
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Now if that were to be the case, other Associations and Federations could then be emboldened to equally question the finality of WADA’s policies and decisions and we shall in no time have dissentions. Cases like that of Maria Sharapova could then be dismissed simply because ‘Meldonium shouldn’t be on the banned list’ and the FA that is under suspicious complicity could then go beyond bounds and render the EPL unfollowable. I think FIFA as the parent organization for UEFA should stand UEFA down but I doubt they’ll do they since they’re not known for such nobility. WADA should take the case to CAS if ignoble FIFA would not perform its responsibility, else anarchy is brewing.
Unbelievable=the New Believable
A dispute has looked to have seemingly broken out between Uefa and Wada on which banned drug on Wada’s list should remain enforce or be longer enforcing on Uefa.
Uefa is the largest and the most powerful of the confederation unit of Fifa’s 6 confederation bodies. Therefore, they Uefa should be listened to by Wada. But that listening to them doesn’t mean Uefa point of argument on the Wada’s banned fat burning drug which Mamadou Sakho of Liverpool has used should be accepted by Wada.
Wada and Uefa should meet to iron out this dispute which Uefa have out of no where brought up. And any failure by the duo to reach an amicable terms of agreement which will not compromise the generality of the banned sports enhancing drugs on the Wada’s banned sports drugs list, should compel Fifa to step into the matter to decide the correct way to be adhered to by Uefa on their dispute with Wada.
And should Uefa or Wada become dissatisfied with the Fifa’s adjudication on the matter, CAS ofcourse is there to be visited for a redress on the issue for any of the dissatisfied body.
My hope is, the new Fifa President is not already a fait accompli in this case going by the way he circumvent the independent authority of the Fifa’s Ethics Investigatory Committee which has led to the resignation of it’s chairman.
Is this Ucl match going to end 1-0 in favour of Real Madrid the favourites. Or will Atletico Madrid come back into the match by equalising despite their hitting the Madrid’s cross-bar after been given a Pen by Mr Mark Clanttenburg? Only God knows the answer.
In 10 years all drugs will probably be allowed in games. Win at all costs eh?
para – I’m sure you mean at any cost. The amazing arrogance of football associations does not surprise me anymore. They feel that anything goes, just like PGMO officials. One Law today another tomorrow.
SamuelAkinsolaAdebosin – CL final God & Clattenburg know how it will end. God made heaven & earth but Clattenburg has the whistle!! 😉
Let’s hope they do retaliate or God help football. We have men running these organisations who should never have been running them in the first place. Football is once again been dragged down by UEFA and if they get away with this then where will it end? What is needed urgently are men who are honest and only want to put right what UEFA and their cronies in FIFA have made a mockery of, are own EPL needs to be looked at very closely indeed along with the sad excuse for referee’s know as the PMGO.
World football,is in a total mess and I can only see it getting much worse before it get better unless someone from all organisation’s has the courage and ball’s to call it out for what it truly is.
Clattenburg’s linesman let him down for Real’s first goal (offside), but he’d earlier missed a blatant Bale dive from which a goal was nearly scored from the resulting free kick, and the missed penalty (in real time) should have been retaken because of infringements.
Apart from that not a bad game by him.
Unbelievable…… so Uefa will basically allow doping…