Further to the meeting between the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Executive Committee and Foundation Board at their headquarters in Montreal, Canada, last Sunday and Monday, and subsequent comments from various WADA representatives, FIFA President Blatter has issued the following statements:

1. The World Anti-Doping Agency Code was unanimously approved by the supreme body of FIFA, the Congress, in Paris in May 2004. The decision was based on the official declaration made by WADA President Dick Pound at that Congress. The document confirming the decision was signed by the WADA chairman and FIFA President and, at the same time, ratified by IOC President Rogge.

2. At the ASOIF Annual General Meeting in Berlin on 27 April 2005, WADA Director General David Howman mentioned that all 28 summer sports, i.e. including football, were now in line with WADA, with individual case management being applied and the WADA list of sanctions ranging from a caution to a lifelong ban.

3. FIFA's sanctions for doping offences are, however, harsher in that every infringement, including positive results after out-of-competition tests and so-called designer drugs, carries a minimum suspension of six months with no ceiling and, possibly, a lifelong ban.

4. FIFA went one step further in its campaign against doping by introducing blood as well as urine tests at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ in every one of the 64 matches.

5. To keep up good relations with government organisations, a FIFA delegation headed by Dr Michel D'Hooghe (Belgium), a member of the FIFA Executive Committee and chairman of the Sports Medical Committee, will be meeting Luxemburg Sports Minister Jeannot Krecké, whose country is currently presiding over the EU, in Luxemburg on 27 May 2005. At the meeting, FIFA will be giving in-depth information on how it is conducting its fight against doping.