Manchester City admits doping rules breach

Manchester City faces a general misconduct charge rather than one relating to particular individuals.

Published : Jan 28, 2017 02:11 IST , Manchester

Manchester City is now set to be fined around £25,000 ($31,000, 29,000 euros) after being charged with failing to ensure anti-doping officials knew where its players were for drug-testing.
Manchester City is now set to be fined around £25,000 ($31,000, 29,000 euros) after being charged with failing to ensure anti-doping officials knew where its players were for drug-testing.
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Manchester City is now set to be fined around £25,000 ($31,000, 29,000 euros) after being charged with failing to ensure anti-doping officials knew where its players were for drug-testing.

Manchester City is to appear before the Football Association after admitting breaching anti-doping rules, a club spokesman told AFP on Friday.

The Premier League side is now set to be fined around £25,000 ($31,000, 29,000 euros) after being charged with failing to ensure anti-doping officials knew where its players were for drug-testing.

City had until 1600 GMT (2130 IST) Friday to respond after being given more time to assess the charge, which was levelled earlier this month following an alleged third violation of 'whereabouts' rules in the last 12 months.

City has now informed the FA, English football's governing body, it will not be contesting the charge and face a sanction of five figures. Clubs must provide accurate details of training sessions and player whereabouts so they are available for testing at all times.

A date will now be set for an Independent Regulatory Commission to hear the case. No specific details of the three incidents involved have been made public, but it is understood City faces a general misconduct charge rather than one relating to particular individuals.

Sources have indicated the hearing will be held within the next few days or at most two weeks, rather than months. The FA conducts drug testing post-match, at training sessions and at players' home addresses.

Players can be selected for a drug test in either a random or a targeted basis.

In the last FA figures published, in 2014, there were nine violations from a total of 152,286 samples.

The charge facing City is purely an FA matter as the World Anti-Doping Agency and UK Anti-Doping do not have the jurisdiction to cover violations of drug rules by sports teams.

Any fine will be ploughed back into football via the FA, which is a non-profit making organisation.

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