Wenger wants drugs tests after every game

Arsene Wenger called for drugs tests to be carried out after every Premiership game as he insisted that the Football Association had “no choice” but to uphold Rio Ferdinand’s eight-month ban.

Wenger admitted he feels “sorry” for the Manchester United defender, but believes the credibility of the entire drugs-testing procedures was at stake during his appeal hearing.

Ferdinand, who had missed a random drugs test last autumn at United’s training ground, yesterday lost his appeal against his eight-month ban.

Wenger responded: “What I feel is that the FA were a bit in a trap. Whether Rio Ferdinand is guilty or not, I don’t personally know.

“But the FA took a decision which wasn’t really considering the Ferdinand case, but the credibility of the drug tests. The warning is that players will not get away with it.

“I could feel sorry for Ferdinand. I don’t think, frankly, that he was doping. He doesn’t need to dope to be a good player.

“But he was in a case where the case itself was more important than him. So I think the FA had no choice. You have to tackle the issue of drugs.”

The FA currently have a policy of randomly checking players after training sessions and also some competitive games.

However, not only does Wenger believe that more tests must be carried out, but he also feels these should be introduced after each Premiership game, as in the Champions League.

“UEFA have responded by checking after every game and I think that will happen in the Premier League as well,” he said.

“I don’t think that doping is a problem in English football but we had a sport that is famous in France like cycling.

“The other night, I saw a programme in which a guy admitted that he’d doped himself for up to eight years but still never tested positive in 62 controls.

“That just shows the doping is ahead of the controls or that they have the products to mask what they take.”