Olympic Games Rio 2016 re-analysis – the ITA notifies cyclist Christos Volikakis of a potential anti-doping rule violation

Following the launch of the sample re-analysis program for the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the ITA reports that the re-analysis of a sample collected from athlete Christos Volikakis has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding¹ for SARMS LGD-4033 metabolite, a non-specified prohibited substance according to the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The sample was collected by the IOC during an in-competition anti-doping control performed on 16 August 2016 during the cycling track sprint event at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. The sample was first analysed during the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and was reported as negative with the detection methods applied by the WADA-accredited laboratory available at the time.

The athlete has been informed of the case. He has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample. If the B-sample analysis is requested and confirms the result of the A-sample, or if the B-sample analysis is not requested, the case will proceed as a confirmed anti-doping rule violation. The athlete has the opportunity to present his explanations for the positive result.

The matter will thereafter be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD) for adjudication under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules.

Given that the case is underway, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding.

Dragos Nicolae Madaras suspended from tennis

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm that Swedish tennis player Dragos Nicolae Madaras has been suspended from the sport for a period of four years and six months and fined $2,500 for breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).  
 
The ITIA charged Madaras with breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) following a series of events in which Madaras refused to submit a personal device for examination when issued a request to do so by ITIA investigators. 
 
Instead of handing over their mobile phone for examination, Madaras passed the device to their brother, Patrick, who had received accreditation to an event under the pretence of being Dragos’ hitting partner. Patrick also refused to submit the device, before departing the scene. 
 
A hearing was held before independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Charles Hollander KC on 28 February 2024, in which AHO Hollander found Dragos Madaras to have breached sections F.2.b (failure to co-operate) and D.1.l (obtaining accreditation by misrepresentation) of the TACP. 
 
Madaras has been provisionally suspended since 17 August 2023, and time served under provisional suspension will be credited against their period of ineligibility. As such, their suspension will end on 16 February 2028.  

During the period of ineligibility, the player is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.  
 
Patrick Madaras, who has no professional role in tennis, was also found to have breached section F.2.b of the TACP and has been suspended from attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by members of the ITIA or any national association for a period of two years and six months. 

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.  

To access the full decision, click here.

Welsh rugby union player Jack Little receives two-year ban for Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Welsh rugby union player Jack Little, of Beddau Rugby Football Club, has been banned from sport for a period of two years following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited substance.

Mr Little’s Sample tested positive for higenamine, following an Out-of-Competition test. Higenamine is a Specified beta-2-agonist and is prohibited at all times.

UKAD notified Mr Little that he may have committed ADRVs for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance and provisionally suspended him. In his response, Mr Little explained that he had taken a supplement called “Shredabull Untamed 2.0”, which contained an ingredient called ‘nandina domestica extract’, another name for higenamine.

UKAD charged Mr Little, who admitted the ADRVs and accepted a two-year ban.

Mr Little is entitled to credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended, so his ban is deemed to have commenced on 29 September 2023 (the date his provisional suspension started) and will expire on 28 September 2025.

UKAD takes this opportunity to remind all athletes that higenamine is a Prohibited Substance banned at all times and can often be listed by the following names:

• Nandina domestica
• Demethylcoclaurine
• Norcoclaurine
• Tinospora crispa
• Aconitum japonicum
• Gnetum Parvifolium
• Asarum hetertropoides

Athletes are advised to be vigilant in using any supplement. No guarantee can be given that any particular supplement is free from Prohibited Substances. Before taking supplements, athletes must therefore assess the need, risk and consequences to their careers.

World Athletics Approves AIU’s Request For Tougher Testing For Four Federations

Athletes from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Portugal will face more stringent Out-of-Competition (OOC) testing to be eligible for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following the World Athletics’ (WA) Council’s approval of a recommendation from the Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) Board to impose tougher testing requirements on those federations ahead of the Summer Olympics.

The four federations received clear warnings from the AIU about the insufficiency of their national testing programmes after the World Athletics Championships 2022 in Eugene. All four failed to ensure that there was proportionate OOC testing for their teams at the following World Athletics Championships in Budapest 2023. The Council has subsequently accepted the AIU’s call for all four federations to have testing eligibility conditions imposed on their athletes in order to participate in Paris 2024 as follows:

• In the ten months prior to 4 July 2024, each athlete must have undergone at least three no notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) including, if they compete in any event from 800m upwards, at least one Athlete Biological Passport test and one EPO test;
• The three no-notice out-of-competition tests have been conducted at least three weeks apart;
• The first of the three no-notice out-of-competition tests has been conducted no later than 19 May 2024.

This mandatory testing will affect athletes who are not part of the AIU’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and the stipulations are similar to the minimum regulations to which Member Federations in ‘Category A’ of Rule 15 of the World Athletics’ Anti-Doping Rules must adhere. ‘Category A’ Member Federations are deemed to have the highest doping risk and are considered a threat to the overall integrity of the sport. Under Rule 15, these four Member Federations were in ‘Category B’ and considered to have less doping risk. However, the AIU Board has taken this unprecedented step due to the federations’ failure to improve their OOC testing. By contrast, other federations who received similar warnings following the Eugene World Athletics Championships in 2022 – the Czech Republic and New Zealand – improved their testing dramatically.

“We are pleased with the Council’s decision to support the AIU recommendations. This action is tough, but necessary as we did not receive an adequate response from these federations to clear warnings we gave in the lead up to the World Athletics Championships last year,” said AIU Chair David Howman.

“In this Olympic year, we trust this will be a reminder to all Member Federations that the AIU and World Athletics are extremely serious about ensuring a level-playing field for athletes. It is up to all Member Federations to work together with their National AntiDoping Organisations to ensure their team is sufficiently tested prior to Paris 2024 and the AIU will not hesitate to refer any other federation to the Council if we do not see sufficient testing.”

AIU UNVEILS TESTING STATISTICS: IMPROVEMENT IN NATIONAL TESTING PRIOR TO BUDAPEST WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

On a brighter note, Howman revealed national-level testing in athletics is improving but needs further strengthening to safeguard the integrity of premium events.

“Overall, national-level testing in our sport is trending in the right direction. There have been some impressive efforts across the board and this data is a lot better than preEugene.”

Unveiling testing statistics for the 49 biggest Member Federation teams in the lead-up to Budapest (link here), the AIU Chair highlighted key improvements compared to testing prior to the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene. For context, 2,004 athletes competed in Budapest, compared to 1,719 in Eugene (a 17% increase). The testing statistics relate to tests conducted by either the AIU or National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) in the ten months preceding the event and do not include tests conducted onsite before or during the Championships.

HIGHLIGHTS AND COMPARISONS

• 5,542 OOC tests were conducted on athletes in the lead-up period to Budapest, compared to 4,235 for Eugene (30% increase).
• 2,924 in-competition tests prior to Budapest compared to 2,124 prior to Eugene (37% increase).
• 8,466 total tests prior to Budapest compared to 6,359 for Eugene (33% increase).
• A decrease of six per cent (from 33% to 27%) in the number of athletes at the Championships with zero OOC tests in the lead-up period.
• A three-per-cent increase (from 81% to 84%) in the number of athletes who finished Top-8 in an individual event with three or more OOC tests.
• Top-8 finishers were tested on average 5.54 times OOC in the lead-up to Budapest, compared with 4.8 times in Eugene.
• Kenya (11.4), China (11.3), Ethiopia (8.9), Morocco (7.1) and USA (6) averaged the highest number of tests per athlete pre-Budapest.

The AIU is responsible for testing elite international-level athletes in its RTP, mainly those in the Top 10 of their discipline, who are likely to win medals or reach finals at major international events. To complement its high-level testing programme the AIU cooperates closely with NADOs, urging them to focus domestic RTPs on the next tier of athletes. This way, the pinnacle of the competition is well protected from athletes who emerge quickly through the rankings or produce surprise performances, or where the depth of talent means results are unpredictable.

The data published today shows the results of this collaborative approach. An event like the World Athletics Championships is huge, with more than 2,000 competitors, many of whom would not have been in any testing pool and therefore not subject to OOC testing. Consequently, 27 per cent of the 2,004 athletes in Budapest had zero OOC tests in the ten months prior to the event. However, this number drops dramatically to just six per cent for the Top-8 finishers (the finalists) in individual events. Another key finding is that 45 per cent of the athletes had three or more OOC tests, but this number rises to 84 per cent for the Top-8 finishers. In fact, Top-8 athletes averaged 5.54 OOC tests in the lead-up to the World Championships.

“The release of these statistics is in keeping with the AIU’s commitment to greater transparency and accountability to our community and to the public in general,” said Howman. “It is particularly important to release this data at the start of an Olympic year to highlight strengths and weaknesses in national testing programmes and seek appropriate responses.”

EXPLANATORY NOTE:

As part of its responsibilities, the AIU continuously monitors testing at national level, both for (i) ensuring good coordination and no redundancy with its own testing programme and (ii) for monitoring compliance with the testing requirements set out under World Athletics Rule 15.

Under the framework of Rule 15, governing National Federation Anti-Doping Obligations, which came into force in January 2019, National Federations are accountable for ensuring appropriate anti-doping measures are in place in their respective jurisdictions. Among other things, the Rule sets out minimum requirements for testing of the ‘Category A’ National Federations which are deemed to have the highest doping risk and are considered a threat to the overall integrity of the sport.

FIFA Anti-Doping Report 2023 published

FIFA published its Anti-Doping Report 2023 today, which covers FIFA’s efforts in the area from 1 January to 31 December 2023. 

The report provides a quantitative overview of the testing procedures, while including further information about educational activities and further anti-doping support.

In 2023, the anti-doping programme mainly focused on the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, which saw an unprecedented increase in the number of tests carried out per participating team, with the 860 in- and out-of-competition tests conducted.

FIFA also expanded its testing capacities into the 2023 editions of the FIFA youth tournaments (the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ and the FIFA U-20 World Cup™), by stepping up out-of-competition doping control testing and introducing dry-blood spot testing also at the youth level.

Over the full year, FIFA’s testing efforts concluded in a total of 1,592 doping control tests across seven competitions, amounting to a total of 2,616 samples collected and which were analysed by 13 laboratories worldwide accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Out of the samples collected, only one resulted in an adverse analytical finding, justified by a valid therapeutic use exemption.

Another key aspect of FIFA’s anti-doping programme was the collaboration with all the confederations through workshops and educational initiatives to enhance the anti-doping measures at their respective tournaments.

A particularly noteworthy example of this assistance is that FIFA signed a new agreement with Concacaf in 2023 to expand its programme. This has already resulted in eight times more doping control tests across Concacaf competitions compared to 2022. Through its ongoing collaboration with National Anti-Doping Organizations, FIFA provided additional educational support and enhanced local anti-doping infrastructure.

Anti-doping is one of FIFA’s central pillars to ensure that the game of football remains about sporting excellence, passion and team spirit.

Click HERE to download the full report.

The Court Of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) Upholds The Appeal Filed By Simona Halep and Reduces Her Period Of Ineligibility From 4 Years To 9 Months

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued the operative part of its decision in the appeal arbitration procedures CAS 2023/A/10025 Simona Halep v. International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and CAS 2023/A/10227 International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) v. Simona Halep:

The appeal procedures before the CAS concerned two separate charges:

1. a charge which arose from a prohibited substance (Roxadustat) being detected in a urine sample collected from Simona Halep on 29 August 2022 during the US Open; and

2. a charge that Ms Halep’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), in particular a blood sample given by Ms Halep on 22 September 2022, established use of a prohibited substance and/or prohibited method.

In its decision dated 22 September 2023, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Independent Tribunal found Ms Halep guilty of both Anti-doping Rule Violations (ADRV) and imposed a four-year period of ineligibility on her.

In the appeal filed by Simona Halep at the CAS against the first instance Decision, Ms Halep requested that the sanction be reduced and be no longer than the period of the provisional suspension already served. In its separate appeal, the ITIA requested that the CAS sanction Ms Halep’s ADRVs together as one single violation based on the violation that carried the most severe sanction, and the imposition of a period of ineligibility of between four and six years.

The CAS appeal arbitration proceedings involved intensive pre-hearing processes and a three-day hearing which took place on 7-9 February 2024 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The CAS Panel heard from many lay and expert witnesses, most of whom were present in person at the hearing.

The CAS Panel has unanimously determined that the four-year period of ineligibility imposed by the ITF Independent Tribunal is to be reduced to a period of ineligibility of nine (9) months starting on 7 October 2022, which period expired on 6 July 2023. As that period expired before the appeal procedures were even lodged with the CAS, the CAS Panel has determined it appropriate to issue the operative part of the Arbitral Award as soon as practicable, together with a comprehensive media release.

The CAS Panel has also ordered the disqualification of all competitive results achieved by Ms. Halep from 29 August 2022 (the date of her positive sample) to 7 October 2022, including forfeiture of any medals, titles, ranking points and prize money. Therefore, the appeal filed by the ITIA is dismissed and the appeal filed by Simona Halep is partially upheld (her request to backdate the start of the suspension on 29 August 2022 is dismissed).

Roxadustat charge

According to Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (“TADP”), it is each player’s personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substance enters their body and players are responsible for any prohibited substances found to be present in their samples. 

In this matter, a prohibited substance (i.e. Roxadustat) was found to be present in a sample collected from Ms. Halep on 29 August 2022 during the US Open. Ms. Halep did not contest liability in that she accepted that, by reasons of the presence of Roxadustat in her sample, she had committed anti-doping rule violations under Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the TADP. However, she objected to the intentional nature of the infraction and argued that the positive test was the result of contamination.

Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS Panel determined that Ms. Halep had established, on the balance of probabilities, that the Roxadustat entered her body through the consumption of a contaminated supplement which she had used in the days shortly before 29 August 2022 and that the Roxadustat, as detected in her sample, came from that contaminated product. As a result, the CAS Panel determined that Ms. Halep had also established, on the balance of probabilities, that her anti-doping rule violations were not intentional. 

Although the CAS Panel found that Ms. Halep did bear some level of fault or negligence for her violations, as she did not exercise sufficient care when using the Keto MCT supplement, it concluded that she bore no significant fault or negligence.

Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) charge

With respect to the charge concerning Ms. Halep’s ABP, the ITIA bore the onus of establishing (to the standard of comfortable satisfaction) that Ms. Halep had used a prohibited substance and/or prohibited method. It primarily relied on a blood sample given by Ms. Halep on 22 September 2022, the results of which it alleged demonstrated the anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.2 of the TADP.

Contrary to the reasoning of the first instance tribunal, the CAS Panel determined that it was appropriate in the circumstances to consider the results of a private blood sample given by Ms. Halep on 9 September 2022 in the context of a surgery which occurred shortly thereafter. Those results, and Ms. Halep’s public statements that she did not intend to compete for the remainder of the 2022 calendar year, impacted the plausibility of the doping scenarios relied upon by the ITF Independent Tribunal. Having regard to the evidence as a whole, the CAS Panel was not comfortably satisfied that an anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.2. of the TADP had occurred. It therefore dismissed that charge. 

Orders

The CAS Panel has issued the following decision:

1. The appeal filed by Simona Halep on 28 September 2023 against the decision issued on 22 September 2023 by the ITF Independent Tribunal is admissible and is partially upheld. 

2. The appeal filed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on 14 December 2023 against the decision issued on 22 September 2023 by the ITF Independent Tribunal is admissible and is dismissed.

3. The decision issued on 22 September 2023 by the ITF Independent Tribunal is set aside.

4. Simona Halep is found to have committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations under Articles 2.1 (presence) and 2.2 (use) of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme 2022 as a result of the presence of a Prohibited Substance (Roxadustat) in her urine sample collected In-Competition on 29 August 2022.

5. Simona Halep is sanctioned with a period of Ineligibility of nine (9) months, commencing on 7 October 2022.

6. Credit is given to Simona Halep for her provisional suspension served since 7 October 2022.

7. All results obtained by Simona Halep in competitions taking place in the period 29 August 2022 to 7 October 2022 are disqualified, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, titles, ranking points and prize money.

8. The award is pronounced without costs, except for the Court Office fees of CHF 1,000 (one thousand Swiss francs) paid by each of Simona Halep in respect of her appeal and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in respect of its appeal, which is retained by the CAS.

9. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is ordered to pay Simona Halep an amount of CHF 20,000 (twenty thousand Swiss francs) as a contribution towards her legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with these arbitration proceedings.

The reasoned award will be notified to the parties in due course. It will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.

The IFAB approves permanent concussion substitutes among several changes to the Laws of the Game

The IFAB approved several changes to and clarifications of the Laws of the Game relating to players in relation to permanent concussion substitutes, player equipment, fouls and misconduct, and penalty kicks during its 138th Annual General Meeting (AGM), hosted by the Scottish Football Association at Loch Lomond, Scotland.

Trials confirmed

Detailed protocols for three trials in domestic competitions below the top two tiers aimed at improving participant behaviour were approved, namely: 

• Only a team’s captain being able to approach the referee in certain situations.

• The introduction of cooling-off periods to allow the referee to require teams to go to their own penalty area.

• Increasing the time limit for the goalkeepers holding the ball to eight seconds, otherwise possession will revert to the opposing team.

The current guidelines to temporary dismissals in youth and grassroots football were improved. Any potential wider application will only be considered once the impact of these changes have been reviewed. 

The IFAB decided to extend FIFA’s trial where the referee publicly announces the final decisions and the reasoning after a video assistant referee (VAR) review or lengthy VAR check to other competitions. Participating competitions will require permission from The IFAB and will have to commit to following FIFA’s refereeing and technology guidelines.

Changes and clarifications for the Laws of the Game 2024/25

The next edition of the Laws of the Game, which will come into effect on 1 July 2024, will feature the following changes and clarifications:

• Law 3 (The Players): Additional permanent concussion substitutions to be a competition option in accordance with the necessary protocol.

• Law 3 (The Players) and Law 4 (The Players’ Equipment): Each team must have a team captain who wears an identifying armband.

• Law 4 (The Players’ Equipment): Players are responsible for the size and suitability of their shinguards, which remain a compulsory part of their equipment.

• Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct): Handball offences that are not deliberate, and for which penalties are awarded, are to be treated in the same way as other fouls.

• Law 14 (The Penalty Kick): Part of the ball must touch or overhang the centre of the penalty mark, and encroachment by outfield players will be penalised only if it has an impact.

Although the changes will take effect from 1 July 2024, competitions starting before that date may implement them earlier or delay their implementation until no later than the start of the subsequent competition.

Other topics

FIFA confirmed that it would launch a global campaign to raise awareness of how to recognise the symptoms of concussion and treat it appropriately, while The IFAB also requested relevant medical data analyses to be provided to the subsequent AGM in line with the amendment to Law 3 regarding this topic. 

In addition, members received an update on The FA’s trials with body cameras at grassroots level and with a ban on “deliberate heading” at U-12 level and below. The IFAB also received an update on the offside trial which has been undertaken at U-18 level in Italy, and agreed to further trials. 

The AGM, which was chaired and hosted by the Scottish FA, was also attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Irish FA, the FA of Wales and The IFAB administration. At the meeting, FIFA Secretary General ad interim Mattias Grafström was confirmed as the new chair of The IFAB’s Board of Directors.

IHRB and BHA confirm new equine anti-doping & medication control initiative

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) and British Horseracing Authority (BHA) are pleased to announce a new equine anti-doping & medication control initiative, underpinning their common commitment to the regulation of medicine use and zero tolerance of doping in horseracing on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Out of Competition Testing (OOCT) is a critical component of an effective, modern anti-doping strategy in sport. Both jurisdictions have increased OOCT in recent years, increasing access to and testing of Thoroughbreds at all stages of their careers. Building on this and reflecting their shared focus on participant safety and wellbeing, and the integrity of horseracing, the IHRB and BHA are now formally conducting joint OOCT operations across both jurisdictions. These inspections commenced this week with almost 250 samples taken from more than 120 horses that are entered for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in an operation across 14 training premises in Ireland over the last two days, which saw the Head of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare and a Senior Veterinary Officer from the BHA join forces with the IHRB’s Deputy Heads of Veterinary Operations and Policy and other IHRB Authorised Officers.

The IHRB and BHA have agreed that when working jointly in Ireland, they will be operating under IHRB Standard Operating Procedures, and all samples will be considered as IHRB samples. When IHRB Veterinary Officers operate in Britain, it will be under BHA protocols and BHA jurisdiction. In both instances, there will be transparent exchange of any adverse results or screening findings that arise from these tests, with all samples being tested by LGC Laboratory, one of six laboratories worldwide which is recognised as a referenced laboratory by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.

Dr Lynn Hillyer, Chief Veterinary Officer for the IHRB commented: “The IHRB Strategy 2024-2027 commits us to close engagement with international horseracing bodies and benchmarking ourselves against best international practice. This new venture shows stakeholders and the racing public that we collaborate as professionals across both sides of the Irish Sea, sharing best practice and resources and demonstrating equally stringent regulatory processes and standards to the extent that our anti-doping and medication control programmes are interoperable.

“We are delighted to be collaborating with our BHA colleagues in this way and see it as a positive step forward that reinforces the point that there is no room for anything other than the highest standards of integrity and welfare in either jurisdiction.”

James Given, Director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare said: “The BHA welcomes the collaboration with the IHRB to demonstrate to stakeholders and the public that horses running from either side of the Irish sea in each other’s races do so under the same level of scrutiny.

“Not only will our Medication Control and Anti-Doping (MCAD) team have access to more information about visiting horses, but there will be opportunities for our wider team to share ideas and best practice in other areas of our work.

“Like the IHRB, this is aligned with our aims around international collaboration, the response to racecourse accidents and the overall improvement of equine safety and welfare.”

FIFA Series international friendlies pilot project to commence in March 2024

The final 16 teams qualify for the next round of SLAM 2024

The final 16 teams have made it through to the next round of the Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM 2024) competition. The teams had to compete against 50 other teams, over an oral round which is a hearing that will be presented at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in front of leading sports lawyers. 

The teams who went through had to display the moot problem for the first rounds of the competition, based on a real-world scenario that deals with the subject of anti-doping.

We would like to thank the 50 teams who entered the competition, and the judges who gave up their time to both hear and provide extensive feedback to the teams. 

The next round will see the 16 teams face off in front of a panel of 3 CAS Arbitrators. The winning teams will then go through to fight it out to become winners of the SLAM 2024, at the CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland, on April 12-13, 2024. Additionally, they will have the opportunity to network and build relationships with many of the key leading figures from the sector.  

The winning team will win £1,500, and the runners-up, £1,000. 

Teams qualified to the Round of 16 belong to the following universities: 

• University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• O.P Jindal Global University, India
• Kenyatta University, Kenya
• Ghent University, Belgium
• University of Chicago, USA
• SMU Dedman School of Law, USA
• Australian National University, Australia
• University of Kent, UK
• University of Law, UK
• University of Maribor, Slovenia
• University of Lagos, Nigeria
• Nigerian Law School, Nigeria
• UCLA, USA
• University of Essex, UK
• University of Rijeka, Croatia

We would like to thank Charlie Kendrick (Paralegal at The Football Association & former LawInSport mentee), Chirayato Banerjee (Dual Qualified Solicitor (England and Wales) & Judge) and Ian Laing (Associate at Lombardi Associates) for their assistance in helping run the oral qualification rounds. 

For updates on the competition's progress, visit our announcement page and social media channels.

We would also like to thank our sponsors for their support and commitment to the competition to help develop the next generation of sports lawyers: 

1. Secretariat Advisors - Gold Sponsors
2. Arnecke Sibeth Dabelstein (ASD Law) - Silver Sponsors
3. Global Sports Advocates - Supporting Sponsor
4. Lombardi Associates - Supporting Sponsor
5. BianchiSchwald - Supporting Sponsor
6. The Law Offices of Howard Jacobs - Supporting Sponsor

The Court Of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) Dismisses The Appeal Filed By The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Against The Decision Taken By The International Olympic Committee To Suspend Its Membership

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has issued its decision in the appeal arbitration proceedings between the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in which the ROC sought to set aside the decision rendered by the IOC Executive Board (IOC EB) on 12 October 2023 (the Challenged Decision) in which it was suspended from the IOC with immediate effect until further notice due to its decision to include as its members some regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia).

The CAS Panel in charge of this matter dismissed the appeal and confirmed the Challenged Decision, finding that the IOC EB did not breach the principles of legality, equality, predictability or proportionality. 

The Arbitral Award issued by the CAS Panel is currently subject to a confidentiality review meaning that the parties might request that the Arbitral Award, or certain information contained in it, remain confidential. For this reason, the Arbitral Award will not be published immediately on the CAS website.

The CAS Panel’s decision is final and binding except for the parties’ right to file an appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal within 30 days on limited grounds.

The ITA acknowledges the decision issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on former IWF official

THE INTERNATIONAL TESTING AGENCY (ITA) ACKNOWLEDGES THE AWARD ISSUED BY THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) ON 18 JANUARY 2024 RULING THAT THE CONDUCT OF HASAN AKKUS, FORMER TURKISH WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION (TWF) PRESIDENT, FORMER EUROPEAN WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION (EWF) PRESIDENT AND FORMER INTERNATIONAL WEIGHTLIFTING FEDERATION (IWF) VICE-PRESIDENT WAS “DECEPTIVE AND REPREHENSIBLE AND […] PRONE TO CREATE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FEDERATIONS WHICH HAD ENTRUSTED HIM WITH TOP-LEVEL POSITIONS” BUT THAT SUCH CONDUCT DOES NOT AMOUNT TO AN ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION. THE ITA WELCOMES THE IWF’S DECISION TO CHALLENGE THE CAS DECISION BEFORE THE SWISS FEDERAL TRIBUNAL.

The case against Mr. Akkus was brought forward by the ITA, on behalf of the IWF, following its investigation into a series of allegations of misconduct by some IWF Officials in June 2021. This investigation led to the life bans against former IWF President, Tamas Ajan, and Vice President, Nicu Vlad.

Following disciplinary proceedings before the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD), on 3 January 2023, the CAS ADD ruled that in 2013, Mr. Akkus tampered with the results management of 21 anti-doping rule violations committed by Turkish Weightlifters by providing false documents and therefore avoided sanctions against the TWF which he presided at the time. Mr. Akkus was sanctioned with a four-year period of Ineligibility.

Mr. Akkus appealed the CAS ADD decision before the CAS appeal division and a hearing took place on 22 August 2023.

On 18 January 2024, the CAS confirmed that “Mr. Akkus engaged in improper conduct” which included the backdating of letters and the production of documents containing falsified metadata through which “Mr. Akkus brought ‘improper influence to bear’ and prevented ‘normal procedures’ within the IWF from occurring”. The Panel further ruled that “the TWF and (potentially) Mr. Akkus himself faced a realistic risk of sanctions being imposed against them by the IWF on account of the TWF’s non-compliance with its anti-doping responsibilities. The Panel is also convinced, and concurs with the Appealed Decision, that Mr. Akkus’ improper actions had the eventual goal to avoid such negative consequences.”

Finally, the Panel found that Mr. Akkus’ “conduct was deceptive and reprehensible, and in any event prone to create severe damage to the federations which had entrusted him with top-level positions and the power to represent them in public.” However, CAS found that Mr Akkus’ behaviour could not be qualified as an anti-doping rule violation for tampering based on a “strict legal interpretation of such rule” and other legal technicalities; more specifically that Mr. Akkus was found to no longer be subject to the IWF Regulations when providing falsified documents to the ITA.

The IWF has now requested the annulment of the CAS decision before the Swiss Federal Tribunal. The ITA will not comment further on this matter until these proceedings conclude.

New FIFPRO Asia/Oceania report encourages collaboration between the AFC, clubs and players to unlock value in Asian Champions League

• The report has been produced in collaboration with leading sporting intelligence agency Twenty First Group (TFG) and represents the most comprehensive public analysis of the AFC Champions League

• The analysis, which contains extensive data and feedback from players and clubs, weighs the costs and benefits for clubs and players participating in the AFC-organised competition

• With a new competition format introduced from next season, the AFC Champions League Elite, the report suggests a new partnership between the players, clubs and Asia’s football governing body will deliver a sustainable model for all stakeholders

A new report from FIFPRO Asia/Oceania analysing the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) flagship club competition, the AFC Champions League (ACL), has delivered extensive insights into the experiences for players and clubs participating in the competition.

The report, undertaken in collaboration with leading sporting intelligence agency Twenty First Group (TFG), provides an evidence-based assessment of the ACL’s performance and examines the likely impact of reforms announced by the AFC for the 2024/25 season onwards.

Combining expert analysis, independent insights and direct feedback from players and participating clubs, the comprehensive report illustrates that much of the competition’s costs and burdens fall on clubs.

Extensive travel across a vast continent and mid-week matches contribute to players' already-rising workload, which in turn is impacting clubs’ domestic form, the report reveals. The financial subsidies provided to clubs by the AFC do not cover the costs clubs incur, particularly for long-haul away trips.

The report demonstrates the geographic, sporting, economic and workload challenges of the competition for players and clubs, and recommends the AFC establishes a genuine partnership that delivers a more sustainable model that rewards all stakeholders.

“This report analyses the merits and drawbacks of the current AFC Champions League based on various data and the results indicate that the merits do not outweigh the drawbacks for most players and clubs, making it an unsustainable system,” said FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Chairperson Takuya Yamazaki.

“However, this does not mean that the future of football in Asia is bleak. On the contrary, we believe that this economically significant region can lead a discussion for truly sustainable competition formats.”

Jerome Perlemuter, General Secretary of World Leagues Forum, which represents professional football leagues on a global level, said collaboration between all stakeholders in the Asian region would help shape and deliver sustainable competitions.

"FIFPRO’s contribution to shaping the future of Asian continental competitions is most welcome," Perlemuter said. "Sustainable football development requires confederations, leagues and players to work together with a common objective to shape high potential continental competitions in a consistent global calendar. In this context, it is important to consider economic, geographical and cultural specificities. We look forward to continuing these discussions with FIFPRO and all stakeholders."

The AFC has announced significant reforms to the competition, which will be relaunched as the AFC Champions League Elite from the 2024/25 season. This includes major changes to the number of teams, the structure of play and the hosting arrangements for the final rounds.

The AFC Champions League Elite kicks off with the preliminary rounds in July 2024, while the league stage gets under way in September. The AFC has announced increased prize money for the two finalists and tweaks to other regulations, though full details have not yet been released.

To download the report, see here.

Katir Banned for ‘Whereabouts Failures’

Mohamed Katir of Spain has admitted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) and been banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for two years, following three Whereabouts Failures in a 12-month period.

On Tuesday this week (13 February 2024), the 25-year-old middle-distance runner returned a signed Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violation and Acceptance of Consequences Form, conceding a violation of Rule 2.4 (Whereabouts Failures by an Athlete in a Registered Testing Pool) of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR). Katir admitted to three Whereabouts Failures in 12 months, beginning on 28 February 2023, specifically: a Filing Failure on 28 February 2023; a Missed Test/Filing Failure on 3 April 2023; and a Missed Test/Filing Failure on 10 October 2023. His two-year period of ineligibility will start from the date of his Provisional Suspension and will therefore run from 7 February 2024 until 6 February 2026. All Katir’s results and related awards since 10 October 2023 have been disqualified. 

In the wake of Katir’s ban, AIU Head Brett Clothier reiterated the importance of Whereabouts in no-notice, Out-of-Competition (OOC) testing for elite athletes in the AIU ‘s Registered Testing Pool (RTP), especially in an Olympic year when the highest rewards are on the line.

“This is a crucial requirement to which all RTP athletes must adhere. Without accurate Whereabouts information, anti-doping organisations cannot properly execute no-notice, Out-of-Competition testing that is the key to catching anyone who is doping and trying to gain an unfair advantage,” explained Clothier.

“In the lead-up to Paris 2024, to ensure a level playing field, the AIU will execute a comprehensive and intelligence-led Out-of-Competition testing programme on elite athletes worldwide. Whereabouts compliance will be an essential element of this. Elite athletes on the AIU’s RTP are well aware of the importance of Whereabouts requirements and receive ample education about it. There is no excuse for committing three Whereabouts Failures in a 12-month period.”

Details here: https://bit.ly/Katir-Decision 

British Triathlete Louis Walker receives three-year ban for possession and use of clenbuterol

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has issued British Triathlete Louis Walker with a three-year ban from all sport following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the Use and Possession of the Prohibited Substance, clenbuterol.   

In February 2023, UKAD received intelligence via its confidential reporting initiative ‘Protect Your Sport’ that Mr Walker had been found in possession of a blister pack of Clenoxin tablets containing clenbuterol. Mr Walker admitted to both using and being in possession of clenbuterol during an interview with UKAD on 3 April 2023. 

Clenbuterol is listed under Section 1.2 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2023 Prohibited List as an Anabolic Agent. It is a non-Specified Substance that is prohibited at all times.  

Mr Walker was provisionally suspended by UKAD on 27 September 2023 and subsequently charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations (Use and Possession of a Prohibited Substance) under the UK Anti-Doping Rules (ADR). Mr Walker responded to UKAD within 20 days of the Charge to admit both violations and accept the sanction. His early admission and acceptance of the sanction allowed his ban to be reduced by one-year.  

Affording Mr Walker credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended, his ban from sport is deemed to have commenced on 27 September 2023 and will expire on 26 September 2026. 

Hamish Coffey, UKAD’s Director of Operations said: “The use of anabolic agents, like clenbuterol, is cheating and undermines the hard-work and determination of clean athletes.  

“This case serves as a reminder of how important it is to report your suspicions of doping. It takes a team to keep sport clean. No matter how small the information may seem, we want to hear it so we can ensure a level playing field for athletes.”  

British Triathlon added, “We support UKAD’s decision and thank the person who initially raised their concerns about the athlete. As a national governing body, we are committed to clean sport and encourage anyone with a concern about an athlete to contact UKAD directly. 

“Since 2021, British Triathlon has increased the education and training available to elite and amateur athletes. All Home Nation members, and any athlete and their athlete support personnel who is a member of British Triathlon’s affiliate organisations or licensees (including clubs, teams, associations and academies) are bound by the British Triathlon Anti-Doping Rules which are the UK Anti-Doping Rules.” 

For more information on how to report doping, search: Protect Your Sport. 

Softball Athlete Suspended for the Presence of Pseudoephedrine

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Mitchell McKay, a softball athlete, received an 18-month sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected in-competition on August 2, 2023, revealed the presence of pseudoephedrine, a prohibited specified stimulant.

In response to the CCES’s notification of the adverse analytical finding, the athlete signed an Agreement on Consequences thereby waiving their right to a hearing and accepting the proposed sanction and all other applicable consequences. Because the athlete accepted a voluntary provisional suspension on September 7, 2023, the sanction ends on March 6, 2025.

During the sanction period, the athlete is ineligible to participate in any capacity with any sport signatory to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP), including training with teammates.

In compliance with rule 8.4 of the CADP, the CCES’s file outcome summary can be found in the Canadian Sport Sanction Registry.

The Court Of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) Publishes The Arbitral Award Issued In The Proceedings Involving RUSADA, The ISU, WADA And Kamila Valieva

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has published the Arbitral Award rendered by the CAS Panel in the appeal arbitration procedures CAS 2023/A/9451 Association Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) v. Kamila Valieva, CAS 2023/A/9455 International Skating Union (ISU) v. Kamila Valieva, Association Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), and CAS 2023/A/9456 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) v. Association Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) & Kamila Valieva).

Following the notification of the Panel’s decision on 29 January 2024, the publication of the unredacted Arbitral Award (131 pages) marks the conclusion of the procedures before the CAS, which started in February 2023, one year after the Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022, when RUSADA, the ISU and WADA filed their appeals. 

The CAS Panel found Ms Valieva (the Athlete) to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) due to the presence of Trimetazidine (TMZ) in the sample collected from her on 25 December 2021 during the Russian National Championships in St Petersburg, and sanctioned her with a four-year period of ineligibility starting on 25 December 2021. In addition, all competitive results from 25 December 2021 were disqualified. TMZ is a Prohibited Substance belonging to the S.4 hormone and metabolic modulators class; its use in sport is banned at all times as it could potentially help the heart to function better

The CAS award shows that, in her submissions, the Athlete asserted that the prohibited substance entered her body through the consumption of contaminated food shortly before the Russian Championships, i.e. through the consumption of a strawberry dessert prepared by her grandfather on the chopping board where he used to crush his medication (pills) containing TMZ. The CAS Panel determined that this explanation was not corroborated by any concrete evidence and that the Athlete was not able to establish that she had not committed the ADRV intentionally.

From this basis, and according to the relevant rules, the status of “Protected Person”, that the Athlete could enjoy before the CAS ad hoc Division at the time of the Olympic Winter Games 2022, because of her young age and on the basis of the limited evidence which was available at the very beginning of the case, was no longer applicable in her situation. Indeed, the CAS Panel determined that since the Athlete failed to establish that she did not commit ADRV intentionally, and since the “No Significant Fault or Negligence” criterion was not met, there was, consequently, no basis under the rules to treat the Athlete any differently from an adult athlete. 

The CAS Panel was not requested to examine the consequences linked to the retroactive disqualification of the Athlete from past events, including from the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Chronology of the case:

• On 25 December 2021, the Athlete is the subject of an in-competition doping control conducted by RUSADA at the Russian National Figure Skating Championships in St Petersburg.
• The Athlete’s urine sample is tested at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm which reports, on 7 February 2022, an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for trimetazidine, a non-specified prohibited substance banned at all times under category S4.4 (Metabolic Modulators) of the 2021 WADA Prohibited List.
• On 7 February 2022, the Athlete competes in the Team Event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 (the Beijing Winter Olympics) winning a gold medal. The medal ceremony of the event is postponed due to the Athlete’s AAF (and has not yet taken place).
• On 8 February 2022, RUSADA notifies the AAF to the Athlete and imposes a mandatory provisional suspension pursuant to art. 9.4.1 of the RUSADA ADR.
• On 9 February 2022, the RUSADA DADC lifts the mandatory provisional suspension.
• WADA, the International Skating Union (ISU) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) appeal the RUSADA DADC decision to lift the provisional suspension before the CAS Ad Hoc Division at the Beijing Winter Olympics. 
• On 17 February 2022, the CAS Ad Hoc Division dismisses the appeals. 
• On 14 December 2022, the RUSADA DADC renders the Challenged Decision, without the grounds.
• On 24 January 2023 / 26 January 2023, the reasoned Challenged Decision is formally notified to RUSADA, the ISU and WADA.
• On 22 February 2023, CAS registers the statements of appeal filed by RUSADA, ISU and WADA against the Challenged Decision.
• On 18 April 2023, the CAS Panel of arbitrators to decide the appeals was constituted.
• On 27, 28, 29 September 2023 the CAS hearing commenced. It was then adjourned until 9 and 10 November 2023.
• On 29 January 2024 the CAS Panel’s decision was notified to the parties.
• On 7 February 2024, the full Arbitral Award was published on the CAS website, here: www.tascas.org/en/jurisprudence/recent-decisions

Rugby League player Tom Curwen receives 18-month ban from sport for Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Rugby League player Tom Curwen, of Workington Town, has been banned from sport for a period of 18 months following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited substance.

Mr Curwen’s Sample tested positive for amphetamine, following an In-Competition test. Amphetamine is a non-Specified stimulant and is prohibited In-Competition only.

UKAD notified Mr Curwen that he may have committed ADRVs for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance and provisionally suspended him. In his response, Mr Curwen provided evidence to support his explanation showing he suffered from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and used medication that contained amphetamine to treat his condition.

As an Athlete within the National Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) Pool for their sport, Mr Curwen was required to apply for a TUE in advance of taking amphetamine. However, at the time of Sample collection Mr Curwen did not possess a TUE. The Athlete applied retroactively for one, but the application was denied by the UKAD TUE Fairness Review Panel. UKAD therefore charged Mr Curwen with the ADRVs on 28 July 2023.

Mr Curwen admitted the ADRVs but submitted that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence. Following the exchange of evidence and submissions, the matter was heard before a National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) tribunal. The NADP tribunal concluded that, while Mr Curwen’s ADRVs were not ‘intentional’, he was at Fault and acted negligently in circumstances where he failed to take steps to investigate whether his medication included a Prohibited Substance or to obtain a TUE prior to taking it. The NADP tribunal therefore imposed an 18-month ban from sport.

Mr Curwen is entitled to credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended, so his ban is deemed to have commenced on 6 April 2023 and will end on 5 October 2024.

Appeal Decision on Peter “casle” Ardenskjold

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and fair play in the esports industry. In line with this commitment, we wish to inform the public about a recent development concerning the appeal process of Peter “casle” Ardenskjold.

In 2020, Mr. Ardenskjold was sanctioned for his involvement with the exploitation of a coaching bug within CS:GO. Following a comprehensive review and subsequent appeal, we are announcing a modification to the initial sanctions imposed on Mr. Ardenskjold.

After careful consideration, the independent Appeal Chair has decided in favor of reducing Mr. Ardenskjold’s demerit points based on the appeal’s merits and the compelling evidence provided by him. This reduction has a direct impact on his eligibility, making him able to participate in the forthcoming PGL Major, as it also leads to a reduction in his Valve sanctioned Regional Major Rankings (RMR) exclusion period. This change has been communicated to and accepted by Valve.

Mr. Ardenskjold has expressed his gratitude towards ESIC and the independent Appeal Chair for their willingness to consider his appeal, submitted out of the typical timeframe, and for recognizing the significance of the new evidence he presented.

This decision reflects ESIC’s dedication to justice and the reevaluation of cases when presented with new, compelling evidence. It underscores our commitment to a fair and competitive environment for all esports participants.

We extend our best wishes to Mr. Ardenskjold and all participants in the upcoming PGL Major.

Rugby Union Athlete Receives Sanction

port Integrity Australia (SIA) acknowledges that Rugby Australia (RA) has imposed a one year and six months ban on athlete Kane Koteka for the Presence and Use of a Prohibited Substance. 

Mr Koteka, a Rugby Union player contracted to Western Force in the Super Rugby Pacific Competition at the time, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an Out-of-Competition doping control test on 16 December 2022. 

Mr Koteka’s sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of Ostarine (Enobosarm) was detected. 

The substance Ostarine (Enobosarm) is listed under Class S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) under the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List – 2022 (Prohibited List 2022). The substance Ostarine (Enobosarm) is a Non-Specified Substance and is prohibited at all times.  

SIA determined that on and/or before 16 December 2022 Mr Koteka Used a Prohibited Substance, namely Ostarine (Enobosarm). 

However, SIA also determined, that Mr Koteka had established, to a ‘balance of probability’ standard, that the presence of the Prohibited Substance in Mr Koteka’s system and the Use of Ostarine (Enobosarm) was likely due to cross-contamination which occurred in a private setting, and that Mr Koteka:

• did not use the Prohibited Substance intentionally;
• did not engage in conduct that he knew constituted an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV); and
• did not manifestly disregard a significant risk that he may be engaging in conduct that might result in an ADRV.

As a result, Mr Koteka’s base period of Ineligibility was two years on account of the lack of intentionality and this was further reduced by six months on account of Mr Koteka having established ‘No Significant Fault or Negligence’ applied.

The reduced ban of one year and six months commenced on 3 February 2023.

Mr Koteka is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 3 August 2024. He is also not permitted to compete in competitions authorised by any non-signatory professional league or any international or national-level Event organisation or any elite or national-level sporting activity funded by a governmental agency.

Towhid Hridoy guilty of breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Bangladesh player Towhid Hridoy has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Saturday.

Towhid was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Towhid’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident occurred in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s innings, when after being dismissed, Towhid turned around on his way back to the pavilion and remonstrated aggressively and inappropriately with the Sri Lankan players.

Towhid admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Sharfuddoula Saikat and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Gazi Sohel and fourth umpire Masudur Rahman levelled the charge.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Sanction: Bodybuilding

Commission on preliminary consideration of anti-doping rules violations of RAA RUSADA rendered the decision that made athlete Sologub Yuriy (bodybuilding) ineligible for 4 years for violation under cl. 4.3 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules, starting on the date of the decision, namely on February 13, 2024, with credit for the served period of provisional suspension, namely from October 23, 2023.

EFL Statement: Clemente Morfuni & Swindon Town

An independent Disciplinary Commission (IDC) has fined Swindon Town owner Clemente Morfuni £10,000 for failing to declare a transfer of shares in the Club, as required by EFL Regulations.

Mr Morfuni had been charged on 7 December 2023 for failing to disclose to the Club’s management the transfer of a 17.1% shareholding to Mrs Hollie Kiely in September 2022.

This led to the Club breaching its requirements to disclose to the League details of any ‘Significant Interest’ shareholder with more than 10% of voting rights and failing to update the official club website for public record.

The Club and Mr. Morfuni admitted the charges, with the latter taking full responsibility for the breach.  

While the independent Disciplinary Commission acknowledged Swindon Town suffered an ‘inadvertent breach’ after Mr Morfuni’s administration error, the Club was issued with a reprimand and warning as to its future conduct.  

The IDC’s Decision and written reasons are available to view on EFL.com.

Club owner jailed for not paying outstanding salaries: Malaysian player union hails legal win

• High Court in Malaysia sent club owner to jail for not paying outstanding salaries to players
  
  
• The Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) expects this precedent will help prevent non-payment
  
  
• "If the owner doesn’t pay, he will remain behind bars," says Malaysian player union CEO Izham Ismail

"Those who believe in good governance will be delighted," said Izham Ismail, the Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia, after the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that an owner of two clubs will be imprisoned until he has cancelled all outstanding debts he has with players.

More than 30 players of Kuantan FA and Marcerra United FC had salary claims for the 2018 season amounting to more than six million Ringgit (approximately 1,250,000 USD). They filed their lawsuit in January 2022.

In January this year, two years after the owner was first told to settle his outstanding debts and after admitting he was liable, the High Court handed down a suspended jail sentence of seven days to give the owner time to cancel the outstanding wages. However, when the deadline expired, the owner still had not fulfilled his duties, forcing the players to ask the High Court to carry out the jail sentence.

"This is not ideal, but it is necessary," said Ismail. "Unfortunately, this case shows that football’s legal system does not force people to fulfil their obligations. The owner of these clubs apparently does not care about football decisions.

"When club leaders do not want to pay, there is no way that this can be arranged within the football industry. That’s why we decided to invoke the High Court, as it was the only way to get the players what they are due. We assume that the High Court’s decision will force the owner to take action. And otherwise, he will remain behind bars until justice is done."

Ismail expects that the High Court’s decision will change the behaviour of other club owners. "As a club owner you have a huge responsibility. And we will hold everyone who is failing the players and not taking dispute resolution seriously accountable. We don’t take the issue of non-payment lightly." To Ismail, the case underscores the need for a fairer and more just accountability in Malaysian football.

The Malaysian player union worked closely together with a law firm that supported the legal action in the High Court. According to these lawyers, the players could take other initiatives to get the money they are owed, for example by declaring the owner bankrupt or by confiscating his property.

American tennis player suspended for two years under Tennis Anti-Doping Programme

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that American tennis player Casey Kania has been suspended for two years following a breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

On 10 August 2023, at an ATP Challenger tournament in Cary, United States of America, 21-year-old Kania provided an in-competition urine sample, which contained cannabis (Carboxy-THC). Cannabis is a cannabinoid banned in competition under section S8 of the WADA Prohibited List. Kania, who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 1317 in August 2023, did not possess a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the substance.

On 7 November 2023, following laboratory analysis of the B sample, which confirmed the presence of cannabis, Kania was charged with the commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under articles 2.1 and/or 2.2 of the TADP.

The ITIA accepted that Kania did not intentionally breach the provisions of the TADP, but the player was unable to demonstrate that they bore No Fault or Negligence for their violation. Therefore, a two-year period of ineligibility (rather than a four-year sanction for an intentional violation) was imposed, as set out in TADP article 10.2.2.

As such, Kania’s two-year period of ineligibility begins on 2 February 2024, the date that the decision was issued, and ends on 1 February 2026. The player’s results, ranking points and prize money obtained at the Cary Challenger and in subsequent events are also disqualified.

In accordance with TADP Article 10.14, during the period of ineligibility, the player is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA).

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide. 

Premier League statement

An independent Appeal Board has concluded that the sanction for Everton FC’s breach of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs), for the period ending Season 2021/22, will be an immediate six-point deduction.

This follows the club’s appeal of an independent Commission’s decision in November 2023 to impose a 10-point deduction for the club’s breach of the PSRs.

The appeal was heard over three days earlier this month, by an Appeal Board comprising Sir Gary Hickinbottom (Chair), Daniel Alexander KC and Katherine Apps KC.

Everton FC appealed the sanction imposed against it on nine grounds, each of which related to the sanction rather than the fact of the breach, which the club admitted.

Two of those nine grounds were upheld by the Appeal Board, which has substituted the original points deduction of 10 for six.

This revised sanction has immediate effect and the Premier League table will be updated today to reflect this.

Click here to read the independent Appeal Board’s full written reasons, which includes a two-page summary of its decision.

Appeal Boards are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the Appeal Board were appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel.

The Premier League Board is satisfied with today’s decision and that the independent disciplinary process, clearly set out in its Rules and agreed by all clubs, has been followed throughout.

Italian tennis player suspended for 15 months

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Italian tennis player Andrea Rita has been suspended for a period of 15 months after admitting to breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). 
 
Rita, who reached a career-high ITF singles ranking of 1712 in June 2023 and is unranked on the ATP Tour, admitted to four breaches of the TACP between 2018 and 2020, including wagering on tennis matches and the failure to report a corrupt approach. The player has been fined $5,000, of which $4,000 is suspended. 
 
23-year-old Rita co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction, waiving their right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer. The player’s period of ineligibility began on 26 January 2024 and ends on 25 April 2025.  
 
During the period of ineligibility, Rita is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.  

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.  

Rugby League player Adam Rusling serves three-month ban for taking cocaine and MDMA

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has confirmed that Rugby League player Adam Rusling received a three-month ban from all sport following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for the presence of Prohibited Substances cocaine and MDMA in his urine Sample. At the time of this announcement, the ban has been served and the player is free to resume participation in sport.  

On 18 June 2023, UKAD collected an In-Competition urine Sample from Mr Rusling at a game between Hunslet RLFC and Cornwall RLFC. Analysis of Mr Rusling’s urine Sample returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, and MDMA (‘ecstasy’) and its metabolite, tenamfetamine. 

Cocaine and MDMA are listed under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2023 Prohibited List as non-Specified stimulants and are prohibited In-Competition only. The WADA 2023 Prohibited List also identifies both substances as ‘Substances of Abuse’. 

The UK Anti-Doping Rules (ADR), which implement the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code for sports in the UK, set out specific rules on how ADRVs relating to Substances of Abuse should be managed. Shorter bans of three months are available for such substances when found In-Competition if their ingestion takes place Out-of-Competition and in a context unrelated to sport performance.  

The ADR further require that a mandatory provisional suspension is imposed when notifying an Athlete that a non-Specified Prohibited Substance (such as cocaine or MDMA) has been detected in their Sample. Therefore, Mr Rusling was notified of his AAFs and provisionally suspended by UKAD on 2 August 2023. In the player’s responses, he admitted taking cocaine and MDMA, stating he had taken both substances Out-of-Competition during the evening of 16 June 2023. 

UKAD investigated the player’s responses, including instructing an independent scientific expert to examine the plausibility of the player’s explanation. Upon concluding its investigations, UKAD charged Mr Rusling on 12 December 2023 with the commission of ADRVs for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample. The player accepted the charges and a three-month period of Ineligibility.  

The ADR provide that Mr Rusling be afforded credit for the time he spent provisionally suspended (since 2 August 2023). In this case, Mr Rusling’s ban is therefore deemed fully served by virtue of his Provisional Suspension lasting in excess of three months. UKAD shares the outcome of this case today, following the expiry of the appeal deadline.

Mr Rusling’s case follows three recent published Rugby League cases, all involving cocaine. While shorter bans may be available for cocaine and other recreational drugs designated ‘Substance(s) of Abuse’, UKAD’s Director of Operations, Hamish Coffey warns about the impact these substances have on an athlete’s health and welfare: 

“Stimulants such as cocaine and MDMA are harmful and addictive, and illegal in the UK. Athletes and their loved ones can have their lives impacted by ‘recreational drugs’, so it’s simply not worth the risk to their health or reputation in sport. The anti-doping rules are in place to keep athletes safe and to maintain a fair sport. We welcome the work sports like Rugby League, in conjunction with Rugby League Cares, are doing to tackle the use of recreational drugs among players, which includes awareness, education and support for those affected.” 

The Rugby Football League and Rugby League Cares, the sport’s independent charity which leads on player welfare, added: 

“Rugby League supports UKAD in its testing programme of players at all levels of the sport, in and out of competition, and in this case specifically the Substance of Abuse programme following positive tests for recreational drugs – supporting players in recognising the dangers of substance misuse, and explaining the range of options for ongoing support – which in Rugby League is led by RL Cares.” 

Sanction: Weightlifting

The National Center for Sports Arbitration rendered a decision against athlete Mkhitaryan David (weightlifting) for violation under cl. 4.1 and cl. 4.2 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules.

The National Center for Sports Arbitration set aside the decision of RAA RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee No. 105/2023 dated June 29, 2023, that made the Athlete ineligible for a period of 2 years, and rendered a decision that made the Athlete ineligible for a period of 4 years, with credit for the served period of provisional suspension and ineligibility.

FEI Tribunal issues Consent Award in equine anti-doping case

The FEI Tribunal has issued a Consent Award in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, the horse Ashva Psyche (FEI ID 107YL76/URU), tested positive for the Banned Substance Stanozolol following samples taken at the CEI2*120 Costa Azul, Canelones (URU) 04-05 November 2023.

The trainer, Leandro Zubiaurre (FEI ID 10018848/URU), admitted the rule violation and accepted the consequences. In its final decision, the FEI Tribunal disqualified the horse from the event and imposed an 18-month ineligibility period on the trainer; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. He was also fined CHF 5,000.

The full Decision is available here.

Case resolution agreed with Jenson Brooksby

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm that an agreement has been reached with American player Jenson Brooksby, which sees their period of ineligibility reduced to 13 months. 
 
In October 2023, Brooksby - who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 33 in 2022 - was issued an 18-month suspension by an independent tribunal for missing three anti-doping tests in a 12-month period. However, new information relating to the circumstances giving rise to the missed tests - which had not previously been available to the ITIA or the independent tribunal during the initial hearing - was submitted as part of the player’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal proceedings. 
 
On the basis of a detailed review of the new information, the ITIA, in consultation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), determined that the player’s degree of fault for the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) should be reassessed.  
 
Following reassessment, the ITIA, WADA, and the player’s representatives agreed that Brooksby’s fault for the ADRV was not as high as previously found by the independent tribunal, and a 13-month sanction was appropriate. The sanction will be backdated to the date of the player’s third and final missed test. As such, Brooksby’s suspension is deemed to have begun on 4 February 2023, and will end on 3 March 2024. In reaching an agreement with the ITIA, the player has withdrawn their appeal to CAS. 
 
Due to the nature of the new information disclosed, it is not possible for the ITIA to discuss the specific details behind the reassessment or offer further comment. 

Youth players in Romania no longer required to sign with team that trained them

• Romanian Football Federation (FRF) abolishes rule that requires minor players to sign with team that trained them
  
  
• The nation’s player union AFAN welcomes the "historic win"
  
  
• Minor players in Romania will finally enjoy freedom of movement and can negotiate fair contract, with rule coming into effect from 1 July 2024

Young players in Romania can now decide which club they will sign their first contract with, after player union AFAN convinced the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) to abolish a rule that 16- and 19-year-old players are required to sign a new contract with the club that trained them. The change will come into effect from 1 July 2024.

"This is a historic win," said AFAN President Emilian Hulubei. "This rule was in place when I was a youth player," the 45-year-old added.

The rule limited players’ freedom of movement and right to negotiate fair contract terms. Players also had to accept what the club offered them.

Sixteen-year-old players had to sign a three-year contract with a minimum salary of 800 lei (approximately USD 175) and if their club offered them a new contract before they turned 19, they had to accept it as long as the minimum salary was equal to a certain amount: USD 550 for first division players, USD 440 for second division players and USD 330 for third division players.

"When players refused to sign the contract, they risked a two-year suspension and a financial penalty," said Hulubei.

Because of this rule, clubs could retain youth players against their will and then try to release them against a transfer fee payment. "Clubs didn’t care about the players’ careers," Hulubei said. "Players at smaller clubs could not move to better teams because bigger clubs were not always willing to pay transfer fees. Unfortunately, too many players left football because of this."

The player union had been fighting this practice for years. "When I started working at AFAN in 2007, we were already trying to abolish this rule," said Hulubei. "We started many procedures against clubs. We even tried to have this practice banned by labour law, but five years on the law is still pending in parliament."

Starting last summer, the player union held various discussions with the football federation to change this regulation. In December both parties reached an agreement, which was accepted by the federation’s executive committee in late January.

"I think the FRF and the clubs understood that this rule was no longer sustainable when two 16-year-old players who had been suspended for two years after refusing to sign a contract with the club that trained them turned to CAS being supported by AFAN and FIFPRO," Hulubei said. "Even though the case is still pending, the FRF and the club already annulled the suspension. However, the players have suffered losses that need to be compensated which explains why AFAN and FIFPRO keep supporting them in their appeal."

Hulubei concluded: "The FRF and the clubs must have realised that we can be successful at CAS, which will have financial consequences for them as they risk having to pay compensation and the costs for the procedure. If we win, we could bring many more cases to CAS, which could prove very costly for the clubs. I think this helped them realise that they should better abolish this rule. Now, young players finally have the freedom to find the best opportunity for their career."

Circular no. 1877 - FIFA Integrity Summit 2024

TO THE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS OF FIFA

Circular no. 1877

Zurich, 8 February 2024

FIFA Integrity Summit 2024

Dear Sir or Madam,

As per the FIFA Statutes, one of FIFA’s key objectives is to promote integrity and prevent practices, such as match manipulation, that might jeopardise the integrity of matches, competitions, players, officials and member associations, or give rise to abuse of association football.

FIFA remains steadfast in the fight against match manipulation through the implementation of integrity initiatives, including the establishment of dedicated integrity educational programmes. In this regard, and in line with our commitment to promoting and protecting the integrity of football worldwide, we are delighted to announce that the first FIFA Integrity Summit will be held in Singapore on 4 and 5 April 2024.

The FIFA Integrity Summit aims to bring together the integrity officers of all 211 FIFA member associations and of the six confederations, with the primary goal of collaboratively tackling the pressing issue of match manipulation and formulating effective measures to combat it. This summit will serve as a crucial platform for engaging in profound discussions on the best practices and strategic approaches to combating match manipulation. For more information on the FIFA Integrity Summit, please consult the brochure attached to this circular. 

FIFA hereby invites all member associations and confederations to nominate one integrity officer (or one official responsible for integrity matters within their association) to participate in the upcoming FIFA Integrity Summit. In order to ensure that the entire community of integrity officers can participate in this event in person, FIFA will cover the travel and accommodation expenses of this person.

Integrity officers are invited to complete the registration process by filling out the registration form available under the following link.

Registration will be open until 25 February 2024.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Yazid Zakaria, Integrity Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

We look forward to your feedback and to working closely with you to protect the integrity of football. 

Yours faithfully, 

FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE

DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

Thailand athlete Worawut Marnnok receives two-year ban for anti-doping rule violation

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has banned Para swimming athlete Worawut Marnnok for a period of two years for committing an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV), in breach of the IPC Anti-Doping Code (Code).

The Thailand athlete returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for two Prohibited Substances in a urine sample provided in-competition on 3 August 2022 at the 11th ASEAN Para Games 2022 in Solo, Indonesia. The test was conducted by the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) in its role as the Major Event Organisation for the 11th ASEAN Para Games.

The substances were chlorothiazide and hydrochlorothiazide. The substances are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2022 Prohibited List under the class S5 (Diuretics and Masking Agents). They are both Specified Substances for the purposes of the Code.

The APC had initial results management authority for the athlete’s case, pursuant to the APC’s anti-doping rules, in relation to determining whether the athlete had committed an ADRV and the disqualification of any results from the 11th ASEAN Para Games.

The athlete was provisionally suspended by the APC on 29 September 2022 pending a resolution of his case.

On 31 March 2023, the APC issued a reasoned decision confirming that the athlete had committed an ADRV and disqualifying the athlete’s results from his competition at the 11th ASEAN Para Games, together with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of all related medals, points and prizes.

Following this, the matter was transferred to the IPC as the international federation for the athlete’s sport (Para swimming) – to determine any further applicable consequences for the athlete, including any period of ineligibility as per the terms of the Code.

The athlete accepted the consequences proposed by the IPC in resolution of his case. As a result of his violation, the athlete will be ineligible for competition and other sporting activities (other than authorised anti-doping education or rehabilitation programmes) for two years from 29 September 2022 to 28 September 2024.

All results obtained by the athlete from the date the athlete’s sample was collected (3 August 2022) until the commencement of the Provisional Suspension (29 September 2022) were disqualified, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.

Each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in their sample. An ADRV occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in their bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

As a signatory of the World Anti-Doping Code (the WADC), the IPC remains committed to a doping-free sporting environment at all levels. The IPC has established the IPC Anti-Doping Code in compliance with the general principles of the WADC, including the WADC International Standards, expecting that, in the spirit of sport, it will lead the fight against doping in sport for athletes with an impairment.

EFL Statement: Premier League discussions

Croatian official suspended from tennis

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Croatian tennis official Marko Stojanovic has been suspended from the sport for five years and six months after admitting to breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). 

Stojanovic, a national-level official, admitted to 15 breaches of the TACP, including manipulating data from matches in which they were an official to facilitate betting.

Stojanovic, who is accredited at national level and has officiated at ITF tournaments, co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction, waiving their right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer. Stojanovic has also been fined $25,000, of which $18,750 is suspended.

The official’s agreed sanction began on 19 February 2024 and will end at midnight on 18 August 2029.

During the suspension, Stojanovic is prohibited from officiating at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA). 

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.

Clubs agree to prioritise the swift development and implementation of a new League-wide financial system

At a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting today clubs agreed to prioritise the swift development and implementation of a new League-wide financial system.

This will provide certainty for clubs in relation to their future financial plans and will ensure the Premier League is able to retain its existing world-leading investment to all levels of the game.

Alongside this, Premier League clubs also re-confirmed their commitment to securing a sustainably funded financial agreement with the EFL, subject to the new financial system being formally approved by clubs.

The League and clubs also reaffirmed their ongoing and longstanding commitment to the wider game which includes £1.6billion distributed to all levels of football across the current three-year cycle.

The Premier League’s significant funding contributions cover all EFL clubs and National League clubs, as well as women and girls’ football, and the grassroots of the game.

Instrumented Mouthguard (iMG) update

Following a recommendation from its independent Concussion Working Group, World Rugby is making interim changes to the Instrumented Mouthguard (iMG) process which will apply from this weekend (8 March).  The changes are being made following consultation with doctors, players and coaches who have been using iMGs in elite rugby under the new protocols which came into effect on January 1.

Players will continue to wear the iMGs in all competitions using the premium Head Injury Assessment protocols, and alerts will be detected where a player experiences a high acceleration event.

Players who have triggered an alert will receive immediate medical attention via an on-field doctor’s check. If the doctor has any concerns the player will then leave the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).   Players checked by a doctor and cleared to continue in the game will not be required to immediately leave the field but will still be subject to a full HIA1 assessment, either at half-time or full-time depending on when the alert takes place.  All players with alerts will also undergo the post-match HIA2 test and HIA3 test after two sleeps, as per the World Rugby HIA protocol.

The Match Day Doctor still has the power to unilaterally remove any injured player for HIA assessment, or to remove a player from the game if necessary.

These interim changes have been recommended by World Rugby’s Concussion Working Group with contains representatives from unions, competitions, International Rugby Players and independent members.  This interim change is being implemented due to some technical issues with the speed at which an alert notification reaches the pitch side doctor.  The issue is with signal strength in some stadia and not the operation of the mouthguards themselves. The updated process will remain in place while measures to reduce the lag time on the signal are evaluated across all competitions.

Player safety remains the top priority for World Rugby, and there is a shared understanding between all stakeholders that iMGs are a key technology for the game moving forward. 

EFL Statement: Leicester City

Earlier this season, based on financial information submitted by the Club, the EFL’s independent Club Financial Reporting Unit (CFRU) concluded that the Club was forecasting to breach the Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) loss limits for the three-year period ending with financial year 2023/24.   

The CFRU determined that it was appropriate under P&S Rule 2.9 to require Leicester City Football Club to submit a business plan to demonstrate how it planned to comply with the EFL’s P&S spending limits.  

The Club argued that the relevant P&S Rule did not apply to it, meaning the CFRU had no right to require a business plan in respect of Season 2023/24.   

That matter was referred by the Club to the independent Club Financial Reporting Panel (CFRP) which concluded that under the Rules as currently written, Rule 2.9 did not apply to the Club and so it was under no obligation to submit and agree to a business plan.  

The CFRP decision has been published today and will help in informing the EFL on the potential Rule amendments that will be proposed for consideration by Championship Clubs in the future to ensure all Clubs are treated equally under the Rules.  

Leicester City is responsible for meeting its obligations in respect of the P&S Rules which will be assessed along with the submissions of all other Clubs in accordance with the League’s established processes. 

The League will be making no further comment on this matter at this time.  

The CFRP decision can be found here

FIFA hails IFAB decision on permanent concussion substitutes

The decision to make permanent concussion substitutes part of the Laws of the Game, taken by The IFAB at its 138th Annual General Meeting, was based on extensive medical research and out of concern for the welfare of the players. 

"I think we’re not afraid to take on responsibilities and we really want to base all our decisions on data and also medical advice," said FIFA Secretary General ad interim Mattias Grafström following the meeting in Loch Lomond, Scotland. "This is also the basis [on which] we took the decision today on the permanent concussion substitution, which I think is a very important step moving forward," added Mr Grafström, who was confirmed as the new Chair of The IFAB’s Board of Directors.

FIFA also confirmed that it would launch a global campaign to raise awareness of how to recognise the symptoms of concussion and treat them appropriately, and that it would continue to invest in gathering more medical expertise about concussions.

“If there's any doubt about any player’s ability to continue due to a suspected concussion, then they should be taken off the pitch, they should be assessed properly,” said Noel Mooney, Chief Executive of the Football Association of Wales. “And the medical evidence we’ve got suggests there is no amount of time that will allow that to happen and let them still take part in the game. And fundamentally, the protection of the players has to come first.”

He added: “Why would you risk a player coming back onto the field who may be concussed because the only tests you can carry out at the side of a pitch won’t give you the concrete understanding of whether a player is concussed or not? So it’s very simple. If there’s any doubt about player safety, then the player should be removed from the pitch.”

The decision will be incorporated into the next edition of the Laws of the Game, which will come into effect on 1 July 2024.

FIFA publishes Professional Football Report 2023

FIFA has published its Professional Football Report 2023 that provides a comprehensive overview of men’s professional football across all 211 FIFA Member Associations (MAs) and launched an encyclopaedic online database to encourage clubs to seek out best practice from around the world.

The report, which is based on a survey conducted by FIFA, is split into four key areas: players, clubs, competitions (with specific focus on each country’s top-tier competition), and transfers.

It gives a detailed picture of men's club football in each member association, and in a new approach adopted this year, provides various comparative statistics both at global and confederation level. 

The data is also presented in the Professional Football Landscape, the first digital database of its kind, which also includes a countdown of the different transfer windows around the globe, providing more clarity on the dates surrounding the international movement of players.

Based on the report, there were 128,694 professional male footballers at 3,986 clubs in 135 countries around the world. Mexico had both the most professional players (9,464) - with Spain (8,560) and England (5,582) next - and the most clubs (244), followed by Türkiye (136) and Argentina (118).

All member associations had made significant progress in club licensing with 88% reporting they have some form of regulations in place.

“The Professional Football Report 2023 as well as our digital platform – the Professional Football Landscape – will serve as a benchmarking tool for professional clubs, leagues, and federations around the world,” said Ornella Bellia, FIFA’s Director of Professional Football Relations & Development.

“This report gives a clear picture of not only the overall state of the game in their country but can also serve as a catalyst for future development as they draw inspiration from best practice around the world.”

The report is available here.

EFL Statement: Reading FC and Mr Dai Yongge

• Club issued with immediate two-point deduction for late payment of liabilities
• Owner Mr Dai Yongge fined six figures for non-compliance
• EFL calls on Mr Dai to adequately fund Club or sell shareholding

An independent Disciplinary Commission (IDC) has determined that Reading Football Club are to be deducted two points from the 2023/24 League One table with a further two points suspended after the Club failed to meet HMRC payment obligations in accordance with EFL Regulations.

The sporting sanction will be applied immediately resulting in the Club being deducted a total of six points in the current season, having received a one-point penalty in August 2023, before a further three points were removed in September 2023.

The suspended points deduction will be activated in the event the Club fails to pay amounts owed to HMRC, other Clubs or any other football creditor claims by the required due dates up until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Following separate charges being issued, the Club’s owner, Mr Dai Yongge, has been fined £100,000 for his repeated failures to deposit an amount equal to 125% of the Club’s forecast monthly wage bill in a designated account. He is required to pay the fine by 18 March 2024.

If Mr Dai fails to comply with the prior order of the IDC to meet the deposit requirement within 28 days a further suspended fine of £100,000 will be activated and an additional fine of £100,000 will be imposed if the money is not received within five weeks.

The EFL notes the written reasons issued by the Commission who have again opted not to disqualify Mr Dai because of the potential adverse consequences for the Club. However, as the League has previously stated, Mr Dai has demonstrated an unwillingness to support the Club’s current financial commitments, in contrast to his approach following the change of control in 2017. That is creating significant uncertainty, and the current impasse has to be broken.

Therefore, the League urges Mr Dai to provide his Club with the appropriate resources needed while at the same time accelerating his efforts to sell his majority shareholding to new owners, so that everyone associated with Reading FC, including staff, supporters and the local community, can move on and prepare for a positive future.

The IDC’s Decision and written reasons are available to view on EFL.com.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Registers Four Appeals Against The Re-Ranking Announced By The International Skating Union (ISU) in Relation to the Figure Skating Team Event

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered the following appeals further to the announcement made by the International Skating Union (ISU) on 30 January 2024 by which the final standings for the Team Event in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 were adjusted following the disqualification of the skater Kamila Valieva, a member of the Russian team:

CAS 2024/A/10354 Madeline Schizas, Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier, Kirsten Moore-Towers, Michael Marinaro, Eric Radford, Vanessa James and Roman Sadovsky, and, Skate Canada, and Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) v. International Skating Union (ISU), and, International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), and Figure Skating Federation of Russia, and, Aleksandr Galliamov, Victoria Sinitsina, Anastasia Mishina, Nikita Katsalapov, Kamila Valieva and Mark Kondratiuk

The Canadian Appellants in this appeal seek a ruling from CAS ordering the ISU to re-rank the figure skating Team Event at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games as follows:

i. United States of America: 67 points;

ii. Japan: 65 points;

iii. Canada: 55 points;

iv. ROC: 54 points;

v. People’s Republic of China: 52 points.

The Appellants further request that medals be awarded by the IOC, as follows:

i. Gold medal: United States of America;

ii. Silver medal: Japan;

iii. Bronze medal: Canada.

CAS 2024/A/10355 Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) v. International Skating Union (ISU)

CAS 2024/A/10360 Figure Skating Federation of Russia v. International Skating Union (ISU)

The Appellants in these separate appeals both seek a ruling from CAS ordering the ISU to re-rank the figure skating Team Event at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games as follows:

(l) ROC - Gold medal;

(2) United States of America - Silver medal;

(3) Japan - Bronze medal.

CAS 2024/A/10356 Aleksandr Galliamov, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratiuk, Anastasia Mishina, Victoria Sinitsina and Kamila Valieva v. International Skating Union (ISU)

The Appellants in this appeal are the athletes of the ROC figure skating team at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games who seek a ruling from CAS ordering the ISU to re-rank the figure skating Team Event at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games with the ROC team in first place and with the gold medal being awarded to the ROC athletes.

All four CAS arbitration procedures have just commenced. Given the early stage of the proceedings, no indication can be given as to when a hearing may take place, if any.

FEI Tribunal issues final decision in equine anti-doping case

The FEI Tribunal has issued its final decision in an equine anti-doping case involving a Banned Substance.

In this case, a horse trained by Ignacio Flores (FEI ID 10017687/URU), tested positive for the Banned Substance Testosterone following samples taken at the CEIYJ1*100-Costa Azul (URU), 12-14 May 2023.

In its final decision the FEI Tribunal imposed two-year ineligibility period on the trainer; the provisional suspension he already served shall be credited against the imposed ineligibility period. He was also fined CHF 7,500 and asked to pay costs of CHF 2,000. The results obtained at the event were disqualified in the proceedings against the Person Responsible.

The full Decision is available here. 

James Blake fined for breaching tennis sponsorship rules

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm Miami Open Tournament Director and former tennis player James Blake has accepted a sanction for breaching tennis’ betting sponsorship rules. Blake co-operated fully with the investigation and did not contest the charge.

As a Tournament Director, Blake is considered a “covered person”, who must comply with the sport’s rules around relationships with betting operators.

The ITIA accepted that the violation was unintentional and has issued a fine of $56,250 with a further suspended fine of $131,250 and a suspended ban of 18 months. The additional fine and suspension do not come into force unless there is a further breach of the rules during the 18-month period, which started on 9 February 2024.

The TACP rules state that: “No Covered Person shall directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage and/or promote Tennis Betting (‘Facilitation’).”

Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, commented, “Across our members – the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams – the rules prohibit accredited individuals from having commercial relationships with betting companies. 

“This case is more a matter of perception, rather than corruption. The rules apply to players, coaches, officials and accredited tournament staff - who all have the ability to influence results or have access to inside information. 

“We urge anyone in the sport who is unclear or is considering commercial deals like this to get in touch with us to seek guidance.”  

To download the ITIA App, which is custom-designed to support players, representatives and support staff with TACP and Tennis Anti-Doping Programme rules, click here (iOS) or here (Android).

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide. 

Sanction: Weightlifting

The National Center for Sports Arbitration rendered a decision against athlete Mkhitaryan Vanik (weightlifting) for violation under cl. 4.1 and cl. 4.2 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules.

The National Center for Sports Arbitration set aside the decision of RAA RUSADA Disciplinary Anti-Doping Committee No. 104/2023 dated June 29, 2023, that made the Athlete ineligible for a period of 2 years, and rendered a decision that made the Athlete ineligible for a period of 4 years, with credit for the served period of provisional suspension and ineligibility.

Slovenian player union files criminal complaint against club to protect footballers against mobbing

• Slovenian player union SPINS filed a criminal complaint against Olimpija Ljubljana and club’s management
  
  
• The union said the club bullied, harassed and humiliated four players
  
  
• FIFPRO strongly supports the Slovenian player union and condemns any unlawful behaviour by football clubs aimed at forcing players to terminate or change contract terms

Slovenian player union SPINS has filed a criminal complaint against the country’s reigning champions Olimpija Ljubljana and the club’s management. Slovenian labour law protects workers by providing legislation against discrimination, termination of contracts for unfounded reasons and workplace bullying.

According to SPINS, four players – Pascal Estrada, Marko Mijailovic, Rui Pedro and Mustafa Nukic – were bullied, harassed and humiliated by Olimpija Ljubljana.

They were banned from training with the first team to either force them to agree to a contract extension (Estrada and Pedro) or with terminating their contract (Mijailovic and Nukic). The players were not allowed to attend the first team’s training camp in Turkey and had to train with the U-19 team in Slovenia. To justify the players’ absence from the training camp in Turkey, they were ordered to undergo Covid tests or MRI scans without apparent reason.

SPINS noted that at several press conferences the club openly spoke about mistreatment of players, putting the club’s interest above the law and beyond binding provisions in the closed standard contract, which state that all professional players in Slovenia have to train with the first team at the same time and place, under the guidance of the first team coach and without any discrimination.

FA rules also forbid any abusive conduct of a party aimed at forcing the counterparty to terminate or change contract terms. After several reminders to the club were unsuccessful, the Slovenian player union felt it had to resort to the harshest measure available.

The players have recently terminated their contracts by mutual agreement, except for one player, who is still separated from the first team. Marko Mijailovic was forced to terminate his contract by mutual agreement a year-and-a-half before it expired, Austria U-21 international Pascal Estrada left for an Austrian club after payment of compensation, and Rui Pedro signed with a team in Turkey just before the transfer window closed, after the club had turned down several better offers when he was separated. 

SPINS and FIFPRO condemn any form of bullying and harassment. This kind of behaviour is damaging to players’ careers and can also affect their mental health. Players who find themselves side-lined for a longer, unknown period, have a limited chance to further develop their careers, and feel humiliated because they have to train with youth teams instead of the first team. All stakeholders need to think about eradicating the systemic failures that give sports clubs the opportunity to carry out such serious breaches of contract and jeopardise players’ careers and health.

Global football integrity experts to gather at first FIFA Integrity Summit in Singapore

FIFA has invited the integrity officers of all 211 FIFA member associations and the six confederations to the first FIFA Integrity Summit, which will be held in Singapore on 4 and 5 April 2024 in collaboration with the Asian Football Confederation and the Football Association of Singapore.

The summit aims to update integrity officers on global integrity trends, share best practices, present the new FIFA Integrity Handbook and Education Roadmap, and explore relevant decisions from FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding match manipulation.

FIFA remains steadfast in the fight against match manipulation through the implementation of dedicated integrity programmes in close cooperation with its member associations. Keynote speakers from FIFA, CAS and other professionals involved in combating match manipulation will contribute to fostering knowledge exchange.

For the agenda, click here.

WADA publishes Independent Observer team report for the 2023 European Games

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its Independent Observer (IO) team report regarding the anti-doping program of the 2023 European Games, which were held in Kraków, Poland, between 21 June and 2 July 2023. 

WADA’s IO program is an important element of its compliance monitoring of Major Event Organizations, with IO teams providing an independent review of all aspects of the anti-doping programs as delivered at major events around the globe, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In addition to publishing this written report after the event, the team was also able to provide real-time feedback during the Games in a positive and collaborative way. 

The anti-doping program of the 2023 European Games was operated by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on behalf of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) with support from the Polish Anti-Doping Agency (POLADA) and the local organizing committee. WADA’s IO team collaborated with the various organizations to help strengthen the program. The team consisted of: 

• Stefan Trinks (Germany), Head of Testing, National Anti-Doping Agency Germany (Chair); 

• Olympia Karavasili (Greece), WADA Deputy Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships (Vice-Chair and Manager); 

• Ivan Ćosić (Croatia), World ParaVolley Athlete Representative and WADA Athlete Council member; and 

• Ruta Banyte (Lithuania), Director, Lithuanian Antidoping Agency. 

Mr. Trinks said: “It was a privilege to lead WADA’s Independent Observer team for the 2023 European Games in Poland. The team would like to thank and congratulate the European Olympic Committees, the International Testing Agency and the Polish Anti-Doping Agency, who all contributed to the success of the anti-doping program. We would also like to recognize the selfless efforts of the dedicated staff and volunteers who played an integral role in delivering the anti-doping program.” 

The IO team observed all aspects of the European Games’ anti-doping program, including: 

• Test distribution planning and implementation; 

• Recruitment and training of sample collection personnel; 

• Athlete selection, notification and sample collection procedures; 

• Transport and chain of custody of samples; 

• Therapeutic Use Exemption procedures; and 

• Results management. 

In addition to featuring the strengths of the program, the report also identifies a number of recommendations and best practices to consider for future European Games and other major events. 

Hungarian player union celebrates new standard player contract that complies with minimum requirements

• Hungarian player union HLSZ makes positive changes to standard player contract
  
  
• Two provisions removed, including possibility to unilaterally reduce salary if player is sent to second team  
  
  
• Amendments a result of collaboration between European stakeholders and domestic social dialogue

Hungarian player union HLSZ actioned crucial amendments to its standard player contract that have improved the rights of professional footballers in the country.

As part of a social dialogue in Hungarian football, and after requests from HLSZ, the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) decided to remove two controversial provisions from the standard player contract. One allowed clubs to unilaterally reduce a player’s salary up to 50 percent in case of relegation, while the other arranged that a club could unilaterally decide to reduce a player’s salary up to 50 percent when the club decided to send a player to the second team.

Gabor Horvath, the union’s general secretary, welcomes the revised standard player contract, which has been in force as of 1 January 2024.

“This is a very important achievement for us,” Horvath told FIFPRO. “We have often been criticised that the standard player contract in our country was not good.

"Through the years, we have tried to change this and now we can finally say that the Hungarian standard player contract is fully in compliance with the minimum requirements on standard player contracts, as laid down in the agreement signed by European stakeholders, including FIFPRO Europe, UEFA, the ECA and European Leagues.”  

Article 47, which allowed clubs to unilaterally reduce players’ salary when sending them away from the first team, was very problematic, according to Horvath. “Players were told that starting tomorrow they couldn’t train with the first team anymore but would have to train with the second or third team, and that their salary was reduced by 50 percent. The clubs could simply decide this unilaterally as a sort of sanction. This could last until the end of season or could lead to a player leaving the club.”

The provision is against Hungarian labour law and against jurisprudence of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) and sports tribunal CAS. The FIFA DRC deemed it “potestative” and “abusive” in various cases.

To realise these amendments to the standard player contract, the Hungarian union invoked the help of FIFPRO Europe, which involved UEFA and the ECA, as both have respective members in Hungary.  

“We couldn’t have done this without the help of FIFPRO Europe and the European stakeholders,” Horvath said. “We had tried since 2018 to change the standard player contract but were unable to arrange this with the federation ourselves.

“With the help of FIFPRO Europe, who involved UEFA and ECA, we could finally discuss this with the federation and with some clubs. We had a couple of meetings involving representatives from the domestic and European stakeholders, in a friendly atmosphere, and it was clear to all parties that these two provisions had to be addressed, which made the federation decide to remove them from the standard player contract.”

HLSZ thinks that the collaboration with the European stakeholders will also be beneficial for the union and Hungarian football in the future.

“It is a good example of the power of the social dialogue,” Horvath said. “Being part of a strong international umbrella organisation, that has good relationships with UEFA, the ECA and European Leagues is very beneficial. Of course, we remain committed to any discussion with our domestic social partners, but it is good to know that, if necessary, we can easily involve FIFPRO to help address these issues.”