Ferdinand charged
The Football Association has charged Rio Ferdinand with misconduct over a missed drugs test.
The Manchester United defender has been charged with a breach of rule E26, which refers to “the failure or refusal by a player to submit to drug testing as required by a competent official”.
Ferdinand now has 14 days in which to answer the charge. He is expected to vigorously deny any suggestion that he deliberately or wilfully avoided the test.
He was selected at random to attend a test by UK Sport’s anti-doping officers, but left the training ground without taking the test on September 23rd. He successfully passed a test 36 hours later.
The England international insists that he simply forgot to take the test, as he was preoccupied with moving house that day.
Ferdinand was omitted from the national team for England’s Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey in Istanbul, while the FA compliance unit investigated the incident. The 24-year-old has continued to play for United.
FA officials have interviewed the player and analysed his phone records and other documents to reach a decision on whether or not he deliberately missed the test.
The FA is coming under increasing pressure from international sporting bodies to get tough on testing.
Had Ferdinand been charged with the more serious offence of deliberately avoiding a test which carries a maximum penalty of a two-year ban.
