Barca denounces Spain radio's doping claims
Source: Agencies |
March 16, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BARCELONA denounced allegations by a Spanish radio station report which linked the club "to doping practices."
The station, Cadena COPE, responded with an apology and said it had not meant to question the "honesty" of Barcelona and its players. However, it did not retract the report.
Cadena COPE claimed late on Sunday that Barcelona rival Real Madrid has asked the Spanish football federation to take drug testing in the league "more seriously", saying it doesn't understand how "doctors with questionable reputations" can be associated with the Catalan club. COPE, which also said Madrid considered the league's drug testing to be "a joke," did not name which doctors Madrid was referring to.
However, Spain's sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky said Madrid had not made any such request as of Monday. Barcelona demanded "immediate rectification" from COPE.
"FC Barcelona wishes to publicly express its total indignation at these unfounded references which link the Club to doping practices and to condemn such attitudes," the two-time defending Spanish champion said in a statement on Monday.
"FC Barcelona wishes to let it be known that its legal department is studying possible legal action to defend the club's honor, alongside that of its coaching staff, players and medical staff and is prepared to take such action to its final consequences."
"Whoever says we're using banned substances is playing with fire," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was quoted as saying. "We have nothing to hide. I'm inside the locker room and I know what we take."
Valencia also threatened COPE with legal action after it claimed doctor Eufemiano Fuentes worked with the club when it won league titles in 2002 and 2004. Fuentes was the doctor at the heart of the Operation Puerto case, which implicated over 50 cyclists in May 2006 for doping.
The station, Cadena COPE, responded with an apology and said it had not meant to question the "honesty" of Barcelona and its players. However, it did not retract the report.
Cadena COPE claimed late on Sunday that Barcelona rival Real Madrid has asked the Spanish football federation to take drug testing in the league "more seriously", saying it doesn't understand how "doctors with questionable reputations" can be associated with the Catalan club. COPE, which also said Madrid considered the league's drug testing to be "a joke," did not name which doctors Madrid was referring to.
However, Spain's sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky said Madrid had not made any such request as of Monday. Barcelona demanded "immediate rectification" from COPE.
"FC Barcelona wishes to publicly express its total indignation at these unfounded references which link the Club to doping practices and to condemn such attitudes," the two-time defending Spanish champion said in a statement on Monday.
"FC Barcelona wishes to let it be known that its legal department is studying possible legal action to defend the club's honor, alongside that of its coaching staff, players and medical staff and is prepared to take such action to its final consequences."
"Whoever says we're using banned substances is playing with fire," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was quoted as saying. "We have nothing to hide. I'm inside the locker room and I know what we take."
Valencia also threatened COPE with legal action after it claimed doctor Eufemiano Fuentes worked with the club when it won league titles in 2002 and 2004. Fuentes was the doctor at the heart of the Operation Puerto case, which implicated over 50 cyclists in May 2006 for doping.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
