From The Times...
England football turmoil over Ferdinand drugs test
By Matt Dickinson
ENGLISH football was plunged into turmoil ahead of the biggest match of the year last night after Rio Ferdinand failed to take a drugs test.
On a day of extraordinary secrecy at the Football Association, lawyers and senior directors met to discuss whether the £30 million Manchester United defender could represent his country in Turkey on Saturday.
The disclosure to The Times came after a torrid week for the game that saw a number of Premiership stars accused of involvement in an incident in which a teenager claimed she was gang-raped.
There is now a question mark over whether Ferdinand will play in England’s Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul on Saturday: a game from which English fans have been effectively banned in an attempt to avoid outbreaks of hooliganism.
The revelation also highlights the football authorities’ relatively lax attitude to drugs testing compared with the strict sanctions of other sports.
The affair caused such dismay at the FA that Sven-Göran Eriksson delayed naming his squad for 48 hours as his employers attempted to clarify Ferdinand’s legal position.
The England squad is due to meet this lunchtime but, although all the players have been contacted by text message to tell them if they have been included, the party officially remains a secret to the media.
It was still not clear whether Ferdinand will be included for the match in Istanbul, which will decide whether England qualify automatically for the European Championships in Portugal next summer. England must win or draw to top their group and avoid the play-offs.
The Times understands that Ferdinand was meant to take the drugs test about a fortnight ago, but for reasons that have yet to become clear, the centre half did not provide a sample. There is no suggestion that he has taken drugs.
A source said: “Ferdinand will claim that the whole thing is a mix up. That is where the complication lies.” The matter was reported to the FA who have been attempting to clarify the player’s position, and its own procedures, which are rarely invoked for this type of case.
It is understood that Ferdinand will argue that there was a misunderstanding rather than any deliberate attempt to evade the testers. It is not known whether he was asked to give a sample randomly in training or after a match. Ferdinand, who could be banned if found guilty of failing to provide a sample, has played for United since the incident, including on Saturday.
The affair will complicate an already difficult task for England. Although they have beaten Turkey in every competitive game they have played, they will be denied the vocal support of their fans while their are roared on by their notoriously frenzied supporters. Ferdinand, the most expensive English player in history, is one of Eriksson’s most important individuals and the manager will be anxious that neither he nor the rest of the team is distracted by what will be the major talking point over the next few days.
Eriksson had been due to announce his squad on Sunday and when he failed to do so, sources at the FA implied that the delay was down to a combination of problems including Michael Owen’s injury and the fact that David Beckham was playing in Spain that evening.
Rumours spread after the announcement was again delayed yesterday, although the players had received text messages on Sunday night telling them to report to Sopwell House hotel in Hertfordshire at 1pm today. Several players were contacted by The Times yesterday, but none was aware of the controversy surrounding Ferdinand.
Eriksson is due to hold a press conference today to talk about his plans for this week but, first, the FA will have to explain when they knew that Ferdinand had not provided a sample and why they left it so long before establishing the procedures. Mark Palios, the chief executive, met lawyers yesterday as he attempted to clear up whether Ferdinand had a case to answer and whether he could play for England.
England football turmoil over Ferdinand drugs test
By Matt Dickinson
ENGLISH football was plunged into turmoil ahead of the biggest match of the year last night after Rio Ferdinand failed to take a drugs test.
On a day of extraordinary secrecy at the Football Association, lawyers and senior directors met to discuss whether the £30 million Manchester United defender could represent his country in Turkey on Saturday.
The disclosure to The Times came after a torrid week for the game that saw a number of Premiership stars accused of involvement in an incident in which a teenager claimed she was gang-raped.
There is now a question mark over whether Ferdinand will play in England’s Euro 2004 qualifier in Istanbul on Saturday: a game from which English fans have been effectively banned in an attempt to avoid outbreaks of hooliganism.
The revelation also highlights the football authorities’ relatively lax attitude to drugs testing compared with the strict sanctions of other sports.
The affair caused such dismay at the FA that Sven-Göran Eriksson delayed naming his squad for 48 hours as his employers attempted to clarify Ferdinand’s legal position.
The England squad is due to meet this lunchtime but, although all the players have been contacted by text message to tell them if they have been included, the party officially remains a secret to the media.
It was still not clear whether Ferdinand will be included for the match in Istanbul, which will decide whether England qualify automatically for the European Championships in Portugal next summer. England must win or draw to top their group and avoid the play-offs.
The Times understands that Ferdinand was meant to take the drugs test about a fortnight ago, but for reasons that have yet to become clear, the centre half did not provide a sample. There is no suggestion that he has taken drugs.
A source said: “Ferdinand will claim that the whole thing is a mix up. That is where the complication lies.” The matter was reported to the FA who have been attempting to clarify the player’s position, and its own procedures, which are rarely invoked for this type of case.
It is understood that Ferdinand will argue that there was a misunderstanding rather than any deliberate attempt to evade the testers. It is not known whether he was asked to give a sample randomly in training or after a match. Ferdinand, who could be banned if found guilty of failing to provide a sample, has played for United since the incident, including on Saturday.
The affair will complicate an already difficult task for England. Although they have beaten Turkey in every competitive game they have played, they will be denied the vocal support of their fans while their are roared on by their notoriously frenzied supporters. Ferdinand, the most expensive English player in history, is one of Eriksson’s most important individuals and the manager will be anxious that neither he nor the rest of the team is distracted by what will be the major talking point over the next few days.
Eriksson had been due to announce his squad on Sunday and when he failed to do so, sources at the FA implied that the delay was down to a combination of problems including Michael Owen’s injury and the fact that David Beckham was playing in Spain that evening.
Rumours spread after the announcement was again delayed yesterday, although the players had received text messages on Sunday night telling them to report to Sopwell House hotel in Hertfordshire at 1pm today. Several players were contacted by The Times yesterday, but none was aware of the controversy surrounding Ferdinand.
Eriksson is due to hold a press conference today to talk about his plans for this week but, first, the FA will have to explain when they knew that Ferdinand had not provided a sample and why they left it so long before establishing the procedures. Mark Palios, the chief executive, met lawyers yesterday as he attempted to clear up whether Ferdinand had a case to answer and whether he could play for England.
