FIFA has taken note of certain inaccurate and misleading statements in the Australian and international media concerning its policy with regard to dope-testing for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Football Tournaments, and wishes to state as follows :

Contrary to these reports, FIFA has not rejected the tests conducted under the auspices of the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA.

In an agreement signed in March between FIFA, the IOC and SOCOG, FIFA expressly agreed "to support any field training opportunities for SOCOG Doping Control personnel during events or for out-of-competition doping control sessions conducted in Australia under the jurisdiction of FIFA, either conducted by FIFA or the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA)".

Thus arrangements for random dope-testing were the same for football as for other sports that had agreed to the Olympic procedure implemented by SOCOG-trained personnel for the 2000 Doping Control Programme under the jurisdiction of ASDA.

Doping controls are being conducted at matches of the men's and women's Olympic football Tournaments, as at all FIFA competitions. One player per team, drawn at random, is tested after every match in the group matches and quarter-finals, and two players per team for the semi-finals and medal matches.

FIFA will provide further information on its dope-testing policy, if requested, at a press conference in Sydney (editors : venue and time to be announced) on Friday 22 September.