Ferdinand loses appeal (1 Viewer)

Jan 7, 2004
29,704
#1
soccerage reports

03/18/2004. Rio Ferdinand has lost his appeal against the eight month suspension he received following his failure to take a drugs test in September.

Consequently the Manchester United defender will not be available to resume playing until September 20th 2004.

Ferdinand had hoped he would be able to secure a reduced suspension, which would have enabled him to play in this summers European championships.

The Football Association had hoped to increase the suspension, but this too was rejected by the three-man panel.


Rio Ferdinand's European Championship dream lies in ruins after his eight-month ban for a missed drugs test was upheld.

While the independent three-man panel who heard Ferdinand's appeal against the sentence initially handed down on December 19 were content the Manchester United defender did not avoid the test for 'drug-related' reasons, they dismissed his challenge to the verdict and punishment.

In also throwing out the Football Association's counter contention that the ban should be increased to 12 months, the panel, chaired by Ian Mill QC, confirmed that the suspension should stand.

It means Ferdinand, who opted to begin his suspension four days after announcing his intention to appeal, will be banned from football until September 20.

Not only does it end the defender's chances of returning to aid Manchester United's ailing campaign, it also means he will not be available to England in Portugal this summer or for their World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Poland early next season.

Ferdinand had begun the day by claiming the prospect of playing for England in Euro 2004 had kept him going during the past two months, but now that hope has been dashed, he faces a bleak six months on the sidelines.

"Having considered the matter very fully, the appeal board has today dismissed Mr Ferdinand's appeals, both against conviction and against sanction," read a statement from the panel.

"It has also rejected the FA's contention that the period of suspension should be increased.

"In reaching its conclusions, the Appeal Board discounted the possibility that Mr Ferdinand's reasons for not taking the test were drug-related.

"Accordingly, Mr Ferdinand will remain suspended until September 20, 2004."
 

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gray

Senior Member
Moderator
Apr 22, 2003
30,260
#2
For me, Ferdinand lost appeal a long time ago :D

I do somewhat feel sorry for him though, and that can only worsen England's chances in the tournament
 

Elnur_E65

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2004
10,848
#16
I find it very stupid by the English Futball Association to ban Rio from all games. You are simply not taking your best defender to Purtugal. I would understand if FIFA did it, but why?

Btw, in Italy there is a law which prohibits mandatory blood sampling. So all during the 90s randomly chosen teams had to be tested after the game- everybody did urine test, but those who didn't wanna give blood simply walked away.
 

mikhail

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2003
9,576
#18
I sympathise too. Actual cheats like Recoba, De Boer, Davids and Stam have walked away with piddling 3 month bans, while a guy who may have been a drug cheat is given three times that. There's even the case of a Man City player not so long ago who did exactly as Ferdinand. He was fined £2,000 and told not to do it again. What kind of justice is that?
 

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