Manchester United's Phil Jones and Daley Blind punished for breaching UEFA's doping regulations

Sport360 staff 19:38 31/07/2017
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  • Facing two-match ban: Jones.

    Phil Jones has been banned for two matches and Daley Blind fined by UEFA after the Manchester United pair were found guilty of breaching the governing body’s doping regulations after the Europa League final in May.

    Jones was understood to have been verbally abusive towards a doping control officer after he was requested to attend drug-testing after the final in Stockholm on May 24, and will now miss the UEFA Super Cup match against Real Madrid next week and United’s first Champions League group stage match in September. He has also been fined 5,000 euros.

    It is understood Blind was reluctant to take a test as requested because he wanted to celebrate with his team-mates, whose 2-0 victory over Ajax ensured their qualification for this season’s Champions League. He was fined 5,000 euros.

    There is no suggestion that either player was guilty of doping.

    United have been fined 10,000 euros over the rule breaches. The club are understood to be aware of UEFA’s decisions, and have three days to appeal against them. However, they have not yet indicated to UEFA whether they will or not.

    UEFA announced the charges and sanctions on its website on Monday afternoon. In its statement, it said: “The club (United) has been charged for infringements of the UEFA anti-doping regulations (ADR) concerning the doping control procedure.

    “In particular, according to Appendix B (17) of the aforementioned regulations, ‘the teams are responsible for ensuring that the players drawn to undergo doping controls are taken by the respective team representatives to the doping control station straight from the pitch as soon as the match is over. This applies even when chaperones are appointed by UEFA’.

    “The player Philip Jones has been charged for insulting and directing abusive language towards the doping control officer (Article 15 (1) of the UEFA disciplinary regulations), as well as for lack of co-operation and respect towards the doping control procedure (Article 6.05 ADR).

    Daley Blind

    Set for the sidelines: Blind.

    “The player Daley Blind has been charged for violation and non-compliance with Article 6.05 (a) of the UEFA anti-doping regulations, which states that ‘every player designated to undergo as doping control is personally responsible for reporting immediately to the doping control station as notified’.”

    Blind played the full 90 minutes against his old club Ajax, while Jones was an unused substitute in Sweden.

    United manager Jose Mourinho’s defensive options in continental competition had already been depleted after UEFA gave Eric Bailly an additional two-match ban for his sending-off against Celta Vigo earlier in the Europa League campaign.

    The Ivorian had already missed the final in Stockholm, but now also misses the Super Cup and the Red Devils’ opening Champions League group stage match.

    Mourinho moved to increase United’s depth at the back by signing Sweden international Victor Lindelof earlier this summer from Benfica.

    United have not commented on the matter and no decisions have yet been taken on whether appeals will be made against any of the decisions.

    It is understood Jones was upset to have missed out on a squad photograph taken after the match paying tribute to victims of the Manchester terrorist attack earlier in the week. He expressed this disappointment to officials at the time.

    Blind did feature on that photograph and did join in some of the celebrations, accompanied by a chaperone. This is permitted in other competitions but was not the case in this instance. It is understood he did not realise he had done anything wrong until reaching doping control.

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