Mexico cleared to replace banned quintet
Reuters - Monday 20 June 2011, 03:46
NEW YORK - Mexico have been given
permission to replace the five players who were suspended
from the CONCACAF Gold Cup for failing out-of-competition doping
tests.
The Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut) has denied their
players did anything wrong, saying they tested positive for a
banned anabolic agent after eating contaminated meat, and asked
that they be replaced for the rest of the tournament.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup Organising Committee announced on
Sunday it had agreed, after consulting with the sport's world
governing body, that Mexico be allowed to replace the players
while the case is continuing.
"Based on the specific facts of this case, and on FIFA's
advice on the matter, the situation at hand is a case of force
majeure as contemplated in the competition regulations,"
CONCACAF said in a statement.
"Therefore the Mexican national team shall be permitted to
replace the five... players with up to five other players for
the remainder of the competition.'
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Francisco Rodriguez and
Edgar Duenas, and midfielders Sinha and Christian Bermudez all
tested positive for clenbuterol and were suspended from the
regional tournament.
Femexfut attributed the positive results to ingestion of
clenbuterol in meat eaten by the players when on a training camp
in Mexico to prepare for the Gold Cup and has conducted
independent tests they hope will exonerate them.
Despite being five players down since the opening match of
the tournament, Mexico remain undefeated and are safely through
to the semi-finals, against Honduras, in Texas this week.