Real Madrid have denied that Sergio Ramos failed to comply with anti-doping regulations following reports that accuse him of twice breaking the rules.
The Der Spiegel newspaper published a report which alleged that a drugs test undertaken by Ramos after the 2017 Champions League final was found to be positive. The report, based on material from Football Leaks, said Uefa considered that result to be due to an “administrative error” after a club doctor failed to accurately record a painkilling injection given to the Madrid captain.
It also reported that Madrid had interfered with the work of anti-doping officials when they carried out random test on 10 players at Madrid’s training ground in February 2017, while a further accusation alleges that Ramos refused to provide a urine sample before having a shower following a game in April 2018.
According to Football Leaks, Ramos tested positive for dexamethasone, a corticosteroid which is banned under World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines, unless administered with a medical report. The club doctor said that he had given Ramos a betamethasone painkilling injection due to problems in his shoulder and knee, later taking the blame for reporting the wrong treatment and attributing it to “human error” after the final.
Uefa accepted that explanation, describing it as an “administrative mistake” and closed the case. Nothing was reported to the Spanish authorities as would be the case if any disciplinary proceedings were forthcoming, according to sources at the Spanish Football Federation.
The second allegation relates to a random test carried out at Valdebebas, Madrid’s training ground. According to Der Spiegel, tests were carried out on Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos but that there had been tension and Madrid’s own doctors intervened to carry out the remaining eight tests, which is against the protocol. Uefa’s testers wrote that they “accepted exceptionally” but Madrid were invited to offer an explanation. They blamed the failure of testers to do their job efficiently.
On a third occasion, Ramos was accused of refusing to give a sample without taking a shower first, insisting that he did not want to miss his team’s travel home after an away game in Malaga. He took a shower in front of testers, the report said.
Madrid responded to the report with a three-point statement. “Sergio Ramos has never failed to comply with anti-doping rules,” it said. It also noted Madrid had been asked for information which they had provided and the case had been “closed immediately after the facts were verified by experts from Wada and Uefa itself.” Finally the club described the rest of the report as “evidently lacking in substance”.
