Fiorentina’s Striker Mutu Fails Doping Test and Risks Four-Year Ban
Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu has tested positive for a banned stimulant and now risks four-year ban. A terrible news for Fiorentina that will not be able to rely for at least one year on its best performing player.
Mutu had already been sacked by Chelsea for cocaine use in 2004, and a legal battle between the Romanian player and the English soccer team is still going on. The player was affected by a record FIFA fine of 17.17 million euros ($24.26 million) as damages to Chelsea. After serving a seven-month cocaine ban, he became Serie A's top scorer in 2007 and third highest the following year. Fiorentina’s player was found to have traces of the appetite suppressant sibutramine following a test made after the game Fiorentina – Bari played on January 10 and ended 2-1 to Fiorentina. In the game Mutu scored a goal. It cannot be excluded that the reason of the possible dope was to help recovering from the injuries that dogged him last season and the start of the ongoing one. Must had already scored three goals in as many matches this month.
Despite the terrible news, Mutu’s agent said the player was “optimistic”. But behind this confident words there seems to be the terrible possibility that his career may end here. In fact, the player was said to be ''visibly shocked'' when he got the news at Fiorentina training ground earlier Thursday.
''We don't give our players banned drugs,'' was the statement released by Fiorentina’s medical chief Paolo Manetti, who added that Mutu has a week to ask for the B sample from the January 10 match against Bari to be tested.
Florence News - b0.01.29.13.23
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