The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend sanctions imposed on four players from Albania, France, Iran and the Netherlands for anti-doping rule violations to have worldwide effect.
The sanctions, which were extended in accordance with art. 136 ff. of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, relate to the following cases:
Eduard Xhafa of Albania was banned by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal from any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of four years. The Second Chamber of the National Anti-Doping Tribunal confirmed the imposed ban. The player is banned until 26 November 2019.
Lucas Antoinette of France was sanctioned by the doping control committee of the France Football Federation from any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of six months. The player is banned until 13 June 2016.
Behnam Bonyadi Zadeh of Iran was sanctioned by the First Instance Deciding Council of the IR Iran National Anti-Doping Organisation from any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of two years. The player is banned until 10 November 2017.
Hafid Charadi of the Netherlands was sanctioned by the Central Anti-Doping Appeals Committee of the Royal Netherlands Football Association from any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of nine months. The player is banned until 25 August 2016.
The relevant parties have been duly notified of the chairman’s decisions.
FIFA continues to work closely with its member associations in the fight against doping. One of the main pillars of FIFA’s anti-doping strategy is prevention through education. In recent months, FIFA has launched a series of prevention initiatives as part of its ongoing efforts to keep football free from doping. The aim is to raise awareness among players, coaches and doctors on the dangers of doping and provide appropriate educational tools for doping control officers across the world.