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The ITA welcomes the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal’s decision regarding Robert Stannard

The ITA welcomes the UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal’s decision regarding Robert Stannard

The Tribunal found that Robert Stannard committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) for use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method due to unexplained abnormalities in his Biological Passport* in 2018 and 2019. These abnormalities were thoroughly followed up and investigated by the ITA after the UCI delegated its operational anti-doping program to the independent organisation in the beginning of 2021. As a consequence, the Tribunal has imposed a four-year period of suspension on the rider as well as a monetary fine corresponding to 70% of his average annual salary in 2018 and 2019.

In accordance with the applicable rules, i.e. the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, the Tribunal decided that the period of suspension shall start on 17 August 2018, i.e. the day of the appearance of the first abnormality, taking into account the delay with which the rider’s abnormalities were communicated to the UCI.

The decision is not final as it can be appealed before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the rider, his National Federation and National Anti-Doping Agency, the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) within one month. The decision will be published on the UCI website once final.

The ITA will not comment further on the matter.

FIFPRO member unions approve governance upgrades to enhance global player support

FIFPRO member unions approve governance upgrades to enhance global player support
  • Unions endorse key FIFPRO governance structure reforms and improvements

  • Organisational recommendations made following review by management consultancy Oliver Wyman

  • Changes include strengthening executive management, reducing board size and implementing term limits

FIFPRO’s member player unions have today approved by an overwhelming majority governance recommendations to enhance the global representation of professional footballers following a review by management consultancy Oliver Wyman.

The governance upgrades that will be introduced over the coming months will streamline how the global board and management operate, making FIFPRO more agile to support and empower players around the world. Member unions agreed to the changes at an extraordinary general assembly which is taking place at FIFPRO headquarters.

Among the recommendations approved were the strengthening of FIFPRO’s executive management team, a reduction in the size of the 18-person global board, and the introduction of a maximum of three term limits for global board members.

As part of the transition to the new governance structure, the current board has agreed to step down to facilitate the process and will be substituted by an interim board until a 12-person board is elected at a General Assembly in November 2024.

FIFPRO is the exclusive global representative of professional footballers and its 66 affiliated national unions between them represent more than 60,000 players.

Among recent achievements for players, FIFPRO negotiated the right for footballers to receive a guaranteed share of FIFA Women’s World Cup prize money and successfully pushed for the first maternity rules across professional football.

Besides supporting national unions and players in hundreds of employment tribunal cases each year, FIFPRO is leading a series of international initiatives for footballers, such as protecting their personal data rights and, at the pinnacle of the game, easing mounting match congestion.

Independent Arbitrator Imposes Four-Year Sanction on Swimming Athlete Kensey McMahon for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

Independent Arbitrator Imposes Four-Year Sanction on Swimming Athlete Kensey McMahon for Anti-Doping Rule Violation

USADA announced today that an independent arbitrator has rendered a decision in the case of swimming athlete Kensey McMahon of Tuscaloosa, Ala. After an evidentiary hearing on May 2, 2024, where both McMahon and USADA were provided a full opportunity to present their cases and witnesses to the independent arbitrator, the arbitrator determined that McMahon will receive a four-year sanction after testing positive for vadadustat during an in-competition drug test at the Phillips 66 National Championships on July 1, 2023. McMahon and USADA mutually agreed to delay the arbitration hearing while McMahon remained provisionally suspended so that she could investigate the source of her positive test.

Vadadustat is a non-specified substance in the category of Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics and is prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the World Aquatics Doping Control Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

In cases involving a positive test for a non-specified substance such as vadadustat, an athlete is required to prove that their use of the prohibited substance was not intentional in order to qualify for a reduction from the default four-year sanction under the rules. McMahon received a four-year sanction because she was unable to establish through concrete evidence that her violation was not intentional. The arbitrator did not conclude that McMahon intended to cheat, only that she could not meet her burden of proof under the rules.

McMahon’s four-year period of ineligibility began on July 7, 2023, the date she was provisionally suspended. In addition, McMahon has been disqualified from all competitive results on and after July 1, 2023, the date of her positive test, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.

The decision, as well as all other arbitral decisions, can be found here.

Clubs agree at AGM to trial an alternative League-wide financial system next season on a non-binding basis

Clubs agree at AGM to trial an alternative League-wide financial system next season on a non-binding basis

At the Premier League’s Annual General Meeting today, clubs agreed to trial an alternative League-wide financial system next season (2024/25) on a non-binding basis. 

The existing Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) will remain in place, but clubs will trial Squad Cost Rules (SCR) and Top to Bottom Anchoring Rules (TBA) in shadow. 

This will enable the League and clubs to fully evaluate the system, including the operation of UEFA’s equivalent new financial regulations, and to complete its consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

The overall system aims to improve and preserve clubs’ financial sustainability and the competitive balance of the Premier League, promote aspiration of clubs, facilitate a workable alignment with other relevant competitions and support clubs’ competitiveness in UEFA club competitions, while providing certainty and clarity for clubs, fans and stakeholders.

SCR will regulate on-pitch spend to a proportion (85 per cent) of a club’s football revenue and net profit/loss on player sales.

TBA is a League-level anchor linked to football costs, based on a multiple of the forecast lowest central distribution for that season. It is designed to be a pre-emptive measure to protect the competitive balance of the Premier League. This protection is intended not to have an impact unless significant revenue divergence of clubs occurs.

The International Olympic Committee and the Esports Integrity Commission Announce Historic Collaboration

The International Olympic Committee and the Esports Integrity Commission Announce Historic Collaboration

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and in particular the IOC’s Olympic Movement Unit for the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Unit PMC), proudly announce a historic letter of collaboration which will see the organisations work together and exchange information, expertise and best practices to combat corruption and other misconduct in esports.

The IOC’s OM Unit PMC, known for its commitment to safeguarding sports from corruption, will work closely with ESIC, the global industry body recognised for its standards on integrity in esports, across several key areas. The collaboration will involve the sharing of information and insights relating to esports integrity, and the development and implementation of strategies, initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing the integrity of esports. ESIC will also function as a specialist advisory body to the IOC and OM Unit PMC, providing guidance on esports related matters.

Friedrich Martens, Head of the OM Unit PMC at the IOC commented: “With numerous IFs organising esports competitions and the IOC planning to organise relevant competitions as well, we need to ensure that we have all the information and intelligence available to make sure that these competitions are free of manipulations or related breaches. Therefore we are very happy about this letter of collaboration formalising the long-standing communication between ESIC and the OM Unit PMC, particularly as esports is a developing area. Thus, we count on the support of ESIC for safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the esports competitions of the Olympic Movement, specifically to also further understand relevant risks and develop all right measures to mitigate them.

Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating: “This collaboration with the IOC and the OM Unit PMC denotes a significant milestone for the global esports industry and is a testament to the IOC’s engagement with the industry in the development of its esports strategy. We are looking forward to working with the IOC to support its ambitious esports initiatives. This collaboration further validates the critical nature of ESIC’s mission and provides the industry with further assurance that ESIC’s work is meeting the evolving challenges to competitive integrity in esports.”

Weightlifter Songhwan (Alan) Park Sanctioned

Weightlifter Songhwan (Alan) Park Sanctioned

Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges that Australia Weightlifting Federation (AWF) has imposed a three-year ban on athlete Songhwan (Alan) Park for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance/s and/or its metabolite and Use and Possession of Prohibited Substances. 

Mr Park, a Masters athlete, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding from an In-Competition doping control test on 15 May 2022 during the Queensland Weightlifting Association State Masters Championships. 

Mr Park’s sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of prohibited substances LGD-4033 (Ligandrol) and its metabolite Di-hydroxy LGD-4033, RAD140, Higenamine, and N,N-Dimethyl Phenethylamine (DMPEA) were detected. 

The substances LGD-4033 (Ligandrol) and RAD140, known as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs), are classified as Class S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) substances and are prohibited at all times. Higenamine is classified as a Class S3 (Beta-2 Agonists) substance and is also prohibited at all times. N,N-Dimethyl Phenethylamine (DMPEA) is classified as a Class S6 (Stimulants) substance and is prohibited In-Competition only. 

It was also determined that: 

  • On and/or before 15 May 2022, Mr Park used LGD-4033 (Ligandrol); and/or RAD140; and/or Higenamine. 
  • On 15 May 2022, Mr Park used the Prohibited Substance DMPEA. 
  • From on and/or around 10 February 2021 to on and/or around 15 May 2022, Mr Park possessed LGD-4033 (Ligandrol); and/or RAD140. 

Mr Park’s ban, commencing on 15 May 2022, was reduced by 12 months following a full admission of the alleged anti-doping rule violations. 

Mr Park is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 15 May 2025. He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level Event organisation. 

Circular no. 1889 - Amendments to the FIFA Statutes, the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress

Circular no. 1889 - Amendments to the FIFA Statutes, the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress

TO THE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS OF FIFA

Circular no. 1889

Zurich, 7 June 2024

Amendments to the FIFA Statutes, the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress

Dear Sir or Madam,

The 74th FIFA Congress held in Bangkok on 17 May 2024 approved amendments to the FIFA Statutes, the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress as proposed and shared with the member associations per circular no. 1882.

Those amendments align with FIFA’s overall strategic objectives, ensure that FIFA’s overall regulatory framework remains relevant and adapted to the changing circumstances within the global game and generally aim to protect the best of interests of football for the future.

These amendments are set out in the enclosed version of the FIFA Statutes, the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes and the Standing Orders of the Congress (May 2024 edition).

Entry into force

The new version of the FIFA Statutes will enter into force on 16 July 2024 (60 days after their approval at the 74th FIFA Congress), and will be available on legal.fifa.com and in the 2024 edition of the FIFA Legal Handbook.

We thank you for taking note of the above and please do not hesitate to contact Héctor Navarro Real, Head of Regulatory Governance and Compliance, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions in this regard.

Yours faithfully,

FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE

DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

The full Circular 1889 is available here.

Port Vale Fined For Crowd Control Misconduct

Port Vale Fined For Crowd Control Misconduct

Port Vale have been fined £25,000 for misconduct in relation to crowd control at their EFL League One game against Portsmouth on Saturday 27 January 2024. 

Port Vale admitted that they failed to ensure their spectators and/or supporters (and anyone purporting to be supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion; don’t behave in an improper, threatening or provocative way; or commit any form of pitch incursion. 

An independent Regulatory Commission imposed the club’s fine following a hearing and its written reasons can be read here.

AIU Bans Kipruto For Six Years For ABP Violation

AIU Bans Kipruto For Six Years For ABP Violation

5 JUNE 2024, MONACO: World Championship 10,000 metres bronze medallist and 10-kilometre road-running world record-holder, Rhonex Kipruto, has been banned for six years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) after a Disciplinary Tribunal ruled irregularities in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) resulted from doping.

After considering submissions from experts, the Tribunal rejected Kipruto’s defence, concluding the “cause for the abnormalities in the ABP is more likely to be due to blood manipulation” such as through the use of recombinant human erythropoietin (rEPO), while pointing out there was “no other plausible explanation” for the abnormal values

The 24-year-old Kenyan was provisionally suspended on 11 May last year under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) – ADR 2.2 relating to the “Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method” – after irregularities were detected in his ABP dating back to July 2018. He is now banned until 10 May 2029 and will have some top honours disqualified.

Between 9 July 2018 and 15 March 2022, 32 blood samples from the athlete were collected and analysed to create his biological passport. Three experts subsequently analysed the passport, while also reviewing the athlete’s Whereabouts along with his competition schedule and deemed in a unanimous opinion that doping was “highly likely” based on a number of “abnormal haematological patterns”.

Kipruto denied the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) charge, contending that his ABP abnormalities were due to multiple factors such as natural and specific characteristics of his body, various medical conditions and health conditions.

“Having reviewed and considered carefully the totality of the Athlete’s evidence, the Panel

is comfortably satisfied that (the AIU) has discharged its burden of proof and established that the Athlete has committed an ADRV,” the panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal concluded.

In reaching its decision, the Disciplinary Tribunal said “the Expert Panel thoroughly analysed all arguments put forward by the Athlete and clearly demonstrated each time, by presenting supporting scientific evidence, why the Athlete’s arguments could not explain the abnormalities in the Passport”.

In the Panel’s view:

  • the Athlete was involved in a deliberate and sophisticated doping regime over a long period of time in order to artificially enhance his performance through doping.
  • Several abnormalities found in the Athlete’s ABP were linked to important competitions including the Valencia Half Marathon in 2020 and Kenyan Olympic Trials in 2021.
  • Blood doping outside of competitions can also be used to gain an advantage as it permits more intense training and this has an obvious effect on performance even after a significant period of time. This is corroborated by the fact that in recent years many athletes have been found positive for EPO far outside of competition.

Considering the case’s aggravating circumstances, the Tribunal imposed the maximum period of ineligibility of six years and also disqualified Kipruto’s competitive results from 2 September 2018 to 11 May 2023. This means the athlete’s 10-kilometre road-running world record in Valencia in 2020; 10,000 metres bronze medal in the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and 10,000 metres victory in the 2019 Stockholm Diamond League, among many other honours, will be annulled.

“The ABP is a critical tool in the quest to combat doping in elite athletes and this decision upholds important principles relating to ABP cases,” said AIU Head Brett Clothier.

“It can be difficult to directly detect the substances or methods used by sophisticated dopers, but the ABP gives us a chance to observe the telltale signs of blood doping over time. For this reason, the AIU conducted more than 4,700 ABP tests in 2023 on elite athletes and we will continue to invest heavily in our ABP programme going forward.”

The ABP, introduced in 2009 to fight blood doping, is an electronic record that collects an athlete’s biological data over time to indirectly detect the effects of doping. The ABP collates data including an athlete’s haemoglobin concentration and percentage of immature red blood cells (reticulocytes) and identifies unusual variations using a statistical model. The anonymised data is analysed by independent experts and, for a case to proceed, three of them must unanimously conclude that doping is likely

This decision is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Details here: https://bit.ly/World-Athletics-v-Rhonex-Kipruto-Decision