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Phil Jones banned for abusing drug testers after Europa League final as Daley Blind is fined for refusing to take test

Published

7 years ago

July 31, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

UEFA announced the charges and sanctions on its website on Monday afternoon.

In its statement, it said: “The club (United) has been charged for infringements of the UEFA anti-doping regulations (ADR) concerning the doping control procedure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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