Mamadou Sakho is suing the World Anti-Doping Agency for £13m over claims a drug-test error ended his career with Liverpool.
The defender, now at Crystal Palace, was suspended from football for 30 days in April 2016 after testing positive for a fat-burning substance following a Europa League first-leg tie with Manchester United. That meant the Frenchman missed the Europa League final against Sevilla in Basel and, he has also claimed in a high court hearing, a place in France’s squad for Euro 2016.
Sakho was cleared by Uefa’s disciplinary body after it found the substance in question – higenamine – was not on Wada’s prohibited list. The governing body then published a report that was hugely critical of Wada, suggesting there were doubts among experts about whether higenamine was among a group known as B2‑agonists, all of which are banned by Wada, and pointed out that Wada’s laboratories do not routinely test for the substance.
Sakho never recovered his first-team place at Liverpool and was sold to Palace for £26m in September 2017 following a loan spell at Selhurst Park. The 29-year-old has now decided to take legal action against Wada, with his lawyers arguing £13m represents the loss of earning and personal worth Sakho has suffered as a result of leaving Anfield.
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“Although [Crystal Palace] is a distinguished Premier League club, it does not have the worldwide reputation or brand recognition of Liverpool with the value which this brings to a player and his associated image rights,” said Sakho’s barrister, Stuart Ritchie QC, in court.
He added: “Only recently has he been re-selected to play for the French national team.”
Wada denies direct responsibility for Sakho’s transfer from Liverpool to Palace, arguing it was caused by “disciplinary issues” and a “personality clash” with Jürgen Klopp.
At the end of the hearing, the judge ordered that the trial on liability – whether Wada was negligent – should take place before the amount of compensation is considered.
