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CRYSTAL PALACE’S MAMADOU SAKHO SUES WADA OVER ‘DRUG TEST BLUNDER’

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Mamadou Sakho of English Premiership side, Crystal Palace is suing the world anti-doping agency for £13 million claiming a drug-test blunder torpedoed his career at Liverpool.

Sakho, 29, was suspended from football in April 2016 after testing positive for a fat-burning substance following a Europa League tie with Manchester United.

The provisional 30-day suspension meant the France international missed out on Liverpool’s Europa League Final defeat to Sevilla and, he claims, cost him a team place at the Euro 2016 tournament, London’s High Court heard.

He was eventually cleared in disciplinary proceedings before UEFA, with the body finding that the substance – higenamine – was not actually on the banned list.

The Crystal Palace defender is now suing for £13m, with his lawyers arguing that his earnings as a player and the worth of his personal brand have been reduced by his move away from Liverpool.

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But the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) denies it is responsible for his transfer from the European Champions which, it says was in reality caused by “disciplinary issues” and a “personality clash” with Jurgen Klopp.

In a hearing at the High Court, Sakho’s lawyers told Master Victoria McCloud that his suspension in 2016 had dealt a massive hit to his earnings.

He missed games with the France team, had to foot lawyers’ and scientists’ bills and, ultimately, saw the end of his career with Liverpool and transfer to Crystal Palace, said his barrister, Stuart Ritchie QC.

“Although this is a distinguished Premier League club, it does not have the worldwide reputation or brand recognition of Liverpool FC with the value which this brings to a player, and his associated image rights,” said the QC.

“Only recently has he been re-selected to play for the French national team,” he added.

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The court heard Sakho had tested positive for the substance – which was present in a dietary supplement he had taken – in a urine test in March 2016.

The laboratory wrote to WADA – which maintains the list of substances banned in world sports – and was told that the substance was on its banned list, under the category “all Beta-2 agonists”.

But the list did not specifically name higenamine and Uefa found it was “not proven” that it was on the banned list, clearing and “vindicating” Mr Sakho in July 2016, said his QC.

The UEFA tribunal said there were “significant doubts” whether higenamine is a “B2-Agonist” and said there had been a “clear lack of communication” from Wada about its status.

Alongside MS Top Ltd, the company which owns his image rights, Mr Sakho is now suing for millions in compensation, claiming Wada was negligent in its handling of the case against him.

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And he claims the impact on his career was made worse when Wada stood by its claims in “defamatory” emails to journalists in 2016 and 2017, said Mr Ritchie.

“In the statements, Wada alleged Mr Sakho was guilty of taking a prohibited, performance enhancing substance, and that it was not appealing against the decision only because it was uncertain that he would receive a significantly higher sanction than the suspension of one month he had already served….” he said.

He is suing on grounds that the statements were untrue and defamatory.

However, Wada denies it did anything wrong, claiming that higenamine was “one of the generic substances banned”.

The body denies negligence or that it owed Mr Sakho any “duty of care”, and questions the impact of the suspension on the footballer’s career.

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“We say the loan and transfer to Crystal Palace in January 2017, and the non-selection for France, are events following the disciplinary proceedings and are not causally related to the claimed act of Wada,” said their barrister Shane Sibbel.

Other disciplinary issues, including events leading to his being sent home from a pre-season tour, also played a part in ending his career at Liverpool, he added.

He had failed to get “express approval” from the club to take the dietary supplement and there was evidence of a “personality clash” with Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, he claimed.

At the end of the hearing, the judge ordered that the trial on liability – whether Wada was negligent – should take place before the issue of the amount of compensation is considered.

The court bill for the case is expected to be well over £1m.

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Higenamine derives from plants and is outlawed by Wada due to its alleged stimulant properties.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Former Arsenal soccer player Partey charged with five counts of rape

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 Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - February 2, 2025 Arsenal's Thomas Partey during the warm-up before the match REUTERS/David Klein/File Photo

Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.

Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.

Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.

Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.

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He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.

-Reuters

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Rashford, Garnacho among five players seeking Man Utd exit

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Premier League - Manchester United v Newcastle United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 30, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford warms up as a substitute during the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.

Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.

Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.

Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.

Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.

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United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.

“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”

Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.

Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.

-Reuters

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Fernandes rejects Al-Hilal offer to stay at Manchester United

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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.

The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.

“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.

“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”

Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.

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“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.

“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.

“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”

The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.

However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

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-Reuters

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