Premier League in doping firing line

John Fahey, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, has hit out at the Premier League and other top soccer divisions across Europe for not doing enough in the fight against drugs.

The Australian was speaking at the annual doping results of the Irish Sports Council in Dublin yesterday, but was hugely critical of the English top flight in light of Arsene Wenger’s recent comments on the lack of blood testing and the potential problems that may exist. Fahey said that the Premier League cannot call itself clean until it takes sufficient steps to prove as much.

“Firstly, I welcome [Wenger’s] comments,” noted Fahey. “When people as influential as he are willing to say that in the public arena, surely that particular code will take notice and surely some action may flow. You have to ask yourself why isn’t the biological passport programme happening in the Premier League, though? Not just in England either, but major leagues everywhere in various countries in Europe. There’s no good reason why not. They can afford it but if you want to be able to say to the world our sport is clean and our athletes are clean, then it’s only by the usage of such tools and programmes such as the biological passport that they can make that statement.