Disgraced Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has denied taking cocaine, but has admlitted to taking another substance. "I didn't take cocaine. I took something to make me feel good, I'll tell you later what it was," he told Romanian television on Thursday after leaving a meeting at the English FA.
Mutu, who faces a ban after failing the drugs test in training, said he would make no further comments. On Tuesday, English players' union chief Gordon Taylor said Mutu had admitted testing positive for cocaine.
Earlier in the day, in his first public comments since the story of his testing positive for drugs broke last weekend, Mutu told Romanian sports daily Pro Sport: "Things about my situation were greatly exaggerated. What has happened to me has shown me who my real friends are.
Pro Sport said: "It seems both sides have reached an agreement that the striker will remain with Chelsea and the club will not pay his salary during the ban."
Asked to confirm whether the meeting had taken place, an FA spokesman said the ruling body would not be making any comment on the case.
Chelsea have also refused to comment, saying only that the player had been signed off by their medical department. Once a player has failed a drugs test the matter becomes the responsibility of the FA rather than the club.
The FA case is likely to last at least two weeks before the length of any suspension is decided.
PLAYBOY EXPLOITS
Mutu's agents have said the striker, stories of whose playboy exploits have filled the pages of the tabloid press in Britain for the last few days, was devastated and wanted to cooperate with any FA hearing.
Mutu, who returned from two days in Italy on Thursday, has agreed to counselling and to waive the right to a test of a B sample.
Earlier Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu said Mutu would be warmly welcomed back to the national side after any suspension he might receive. "The national team needs him, I need him and so do his team mates," Iordanescu said.
"Mutu made a mistake. A lot of young players make mistakes and I don't think he should be buried."
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