Adrian Mutu has been handed a nine month ban from football after the Fiorentina striker tested positive for the banned substance sibutramin in two drugs tests which followed a Coppa Italia tie against Lazio in January.
It is the second doping ban for the Romanian star who tested positive for cocaine in 2004. Club policy at, then club, Chelsea meant the £15 million man was sacked on top of receiving a seven month ban. The Blues subsequently pursued Mutu through the courts for compensation to the value of the transfer fee.
The former Juventus man was widely regarded as hitting his best form this season as la Viola pipped Liverpool to a place in the Champions League knockout stages where they were narrowly beaten by Bayern Munich.
This time around the drug found in the Mutu’s system was not ‘Class A’ and unsurprisingly, the former Steaua Bucharest player felt hard done by the ruling of Italy’s anti-doping tribunal. Claiming the sibutramin in his blood was as a result of slimming tablets supplied by his mother.
“I feel this is a harsh punishment,’’ Mutu contested. “It seems too much. I expected less because, yes, the mistake was made, it’s right to pay, but not so much.”
The former Chelsea star has been banned since January 29th so his ban will run through the summer until October 29th.
With Serie A normally kicking off in September; Fiorentina would only be deprived of their star man for two months of the new season, and the club are expected to stand by the player throughout his punishment.
In his statement, an apologetic Mutu was keen to add: “I am sorry for having left Fiorentina without my services for the next few months, both for the club and for the fans.’’
Despite the two months suspended from his sentence, Mutu is expected to lodge an appeal the court of Arbitration for sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. A place his legal representatives are no strangers to thanks to the saga which followed the breach of his contract at Chelsea.
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