Wales look into Russian drugs issue

UEFA have poured cold water on suggestions that Russia should be thrown out of Euro 2004 because of a player’s failed drugs test.

The Football Association of Wales may lodge a complaint to UEFA after it was revealed Spartak Moscow skipper Egor Titov tested positive after the first leg of the play-off with Wales on November 15.

The match in Moscow finished goalless but Russia went on to win the tie with a 1-0 win in Cardiff.

The FAW are now considering whether they have grounds to call for the result to be declared void.

But UEFA spokesman Rob Faulkner told The Press Association: “It is highly unlikely that any such complaint from the FA of Wales would have any grounds for altering the result of the Russia-Wales match.”

The Football Union of Russia today announced they would not be appealing against Titov’s 12-month ban and €6,400 fine.

Titov was an unused substitute in Moscow but played 59 minutes before being substituted in the second leg at the Millennium Stadium.

Titov was found to have the stimulant bromantan in his system, and his club have also been hit by a fine of €12,800.

Wales are particularly annoyed because the Russians claimed the high moral ground over a controversial incident involving Ryan Giggs.

The Russians went to great lengths to try to ensure the Manchester United winger was banned for the second leg for elbowing Vadim Evseev.

Giggs was later suspended for two matches but the ban was not imposed until after the Russia tie.

But Faulkner does not believe there are precedents for changing the result.

He said: “Looking at case law of UEFA’s disciplinary bodies, this has never happened before been in such a case.

“In cases of doping offences, the player, club or federation are punished or held accountable, as has happened in this case.”

Bromantan has been called the “secret” Russian drug and positive tests led to Russian athletes being stripped of their medals at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

They were reinstated because the then-unknown substance had not been on the International Olympic Committee’s banned lost.

It is a stimulant and masking agent and is highly likely to have still have been in the player’s system for the second leg.

But despite Faulkner’s view, FA of Wales secretary general David Collins will contact UEFA on Monday to stress the Welsh concern.

Mark Evans, FAW international secretary said: “We will have to ask UEFA what the position is and whether there are grounds for an appeal. We have a duty to our own supporters to ask the questions.”

Evans added: “Our medical people have checked on the drug and discovered that it was banned from the 1996 Olympics onwards.

“We have had the results of our four tests from the two legs, and they are all perfectly clear.

“Nathan Blake, Darren Barnard and John Hartson – randomly selected in both legs - were our players tested.

“I am not sure whether we will get any joy from UEFA but we certainly have to make our point and ask the questions.”