The Premier League is understood to be satisfied with the number of drug tests carried out by the Football Association’s anti-doping programme, despite a report that alleged almost one third of players were not tested last season.
An investigation by the Times published on Thursday claimed that 366 first-team squad players at top-flight clubs out of a total of around 530 were tested, meaning more than 150 did not provide urine or blood samples throughout the whole 12-month period. The shortfall is believed to include a large number of players who made fewer than five appearances, although the report states a total of 444 exceeded that figure.
However, those statistics are not believed to have raised concerns at the Premier League, who are understood to be happy with the number of tests carried out by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) on behalf of the FA. It remains the only worldwide league where players must give notice of their whereabouts and can be visited by testers at home, with all squad members likely to face at least one test during the course of a 12-month period.
According to the report, 68% were out of competition – more than three times the equivalent number in Germany’s professional leagues – while players involved in European club and international football also likely to face extra testing from Uefa and Fifa. However, those figures are way below the level of testing in both tennis and cycling, where players are routinely tested in and out of competition.
In response to the Times story, an FA spokesman said: “No other national governing body in the UK dedicates as much resource to prevent doping in its sport; indeed the FA operates one of the most comprehensive national anti-doping testing programmes in the world.
“The FA, like any sport, will prioritise its anti-doping programme at the elite end. In addition, the anti-doping programme is research- and intelligence-led, meaning any player who the FA believes presents a particular doping risk will be targeted.”
In February, the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger called for the introduction of blood tests to combat doping cheats, stating “greater transparency” is needed to root out the problem.
