VARIOUS: FOOTBALLERS EDGAR DAVIDS AND FERNANDO COUTO HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED BY FIFA AFTER POSITIVE DRUG TESTS FOR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES

Record ID: 190170

  • Title: VARIOUS: FOOTBALLERS EDGAR DAVIDS AND FERNANDO COUTO HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED BY FIFA AFTER POSITIVE DRUG TESTS FOR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES
  • Date: 30th May 2001
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (APRIL 24, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. EDGAR DAVIDS READING STATEMENT AFTER HIS POSITIVE DRUG TEST LISBON, PORTUGAL (MAY 27, 2000) REUTERS, ACCESS ALL 2. FERNANDO COUTO POSING FOR TEAM SHOT BEFORE EURO 2000 3. COUTO WALKING WITH TEAMMATE LUIS FIGO Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TURIN, ITALY, LISBON,PORTUGAL
  • City:
  • Country: Italy Portugal
  • Reuters ID: LVA2YBPHIBDOYPZMB5D7IEF9MWV1
  • Story Text: Dutch international Edgar Davids and Portugal's
    Fernando Couto have been suspended from all football with
    immediate effect, FIFA said on Thursday.



    The suspension will run until the end of the
    open-ended ban imposed by the Italian authorities after the
    players tested positive for illegal substances.

    Davids of Juventus and Lazio's Couto will therefore not be
    eligible to play in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers of the
    Netherlands and Portugal on 2 and 6 June 2001.

    Both countries are in qualifying group two with
    second-placed Portugal playing Ireland on Saturday and Cyprus
    next Wednesday. The Netherlands visit Estonia on Saturday but
    don't play another qualifier until September.

    FIFA has yet to make a decision on another Dutch
    international, Frank De Boer, who has also tested positive but
    is awaiting the result of tests on his B sample.

    His case will be dealt with by UEFA at a meeting
    provisionally scheduled for 14 June.

    FIFA informed the respective associations on Wednesday
    from Seoul, where officials are attending the Confederations
    Cup.

    FIFA's statement said: "Both players have been sanctioned
    by the competent Italian bodies for having tested positive for
    a substance prohibited under the applicable regulations.

    "Under the current FIFA regulations, a player who is
    suspended for having breached a compulsory regulation is also
    prevented from playing in other associations for the duration
    of his suspension.

    "Furthermore, an extension of this suspension to national
    teams' competitions is decided on a case-by-case basis if the
    infringement committed is considered as being particularly
    serious.

    "Regarding the infringement committed by the players
    Davids and Couto, FIFA is confronted with a confirmed doping
    situation.

    "Doping is an illegal way of enhancing performance and is
    a total anathema to the concept of fair play and football
    ethics.

    "As such it is without doubt a particularly serious
    offence and it is therefore unquestionable that players found
    guilty of doping should be prevented from playing not only in
    the competition in which they were convicted of doping but
    also in all other football competitions."
    Couto was suspended on April 27 Davids following on May
    17. Both players, and De Boer, the Dutch national captain,
    tested positive for nandrolone.





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