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UEFA
rejects Wales complaint
The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body has today rejected the
complaint by the Football Association of Wales to have the
EURO 2004 play-off second leg against Russia, held on 19
November last year in Cardiff, declared as irregular and thus
a forfeit.
Tuesday,
03 February 2004
The
FAW submitted its complaint regarding the regularity of this
match, won 1-0 by Russia, on the grounds that Russian midfield
player Yegor Titov was ineligible to play due to his positive
doping test after the first leg, held in Moscow on 15
November.
In reviewing the case the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body
made reference to the FAW's failure to provide evidence that
the player was under the influence of a prohibited substance
in the second-leg match.
In addition, and according to UEFA regulations in the case of
a doping offence, the punishment only applies to the player
himself and not to the team. This is further backed up by the
World Anti-Doping Code which states that in the event of one
member testing positive for a prohibitive substance in team
sports it is the individual and not the team that is liable.
The decision of the Control and Disciplinary Body may be
appealed against, as UEFA's disciplinary regulations allow.
The FAW has until midnight (CET) on Friday 6 February to
appeal. - UEFA.com
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