Keegan Ramadan allegation is denied

UK SPORT last night described Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan’s claim that a Muslim player was forced to break the Ramadan fast in order to provide a urine sample as “outrageous”.

Keegan reportedly claimed that City defender Christian Negouai, who was fined £2,000 for failing to take a test at the end of last season, had to drink water in order to provide a sample when UK Sport officers appeared at the club’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday.

However, UK Sport chief executive Richard Callicott defended his organisation’s methods and said: “The allegations in the press leave me with no option but to break our policy of not discussing individual cases.

“I am outraged at what has been claimed and, having spoken to the lead doping control officer, strongly refute the claims that Negouai was forced to drink water,” he added.

The Football Association later released a statement on their website, www.thefa.com, saying the matter had been resolved.