The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend sanctions imposed on two players from Finland and Italy 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:

-        Roman Eremenko of Finland was banned by the Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body of UEFA from any kind of football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) for a period of two years. The player is banned until 5 October 2018.

-        Felice Rea of Italy 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 player is banned until 12 June 2020.

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, and 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.