Kolo Toure
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has been tested positive for a drug test which will keep the defender out of all football action for six months.
The Ivorian International will miss the start of the season after being banned from all forms of football for failing a drug test. The defender has been handed the suspension by the FA Federation after admitting that he consumed his wife’s diet pills. The ban has been back dated to March. He has been suspended by his club which means that the defender will not be allowed to kick the ball until somewhere around the month of September.
The City defender had to sit out and watch his team play in the last two months of the season and missed City’s FA Cup Triumph over Stoke City and also seeing his side finish third in the League Table and qualifying for a Champions League spot next season.
After confirming the ban on the defender on Thursday evening, the FA Federation stated that Toure will be subject to another testing for a period of two years from 26th May 2011, but admitted that the player did not take the pills to enhance performance.
The FA statement read “He did not intend to enhance sporting performance or to mask the use of a performance enhancing substance.”
“The Player accepted he was at fault and with that concession we agree. He was at fault in the limited and perfunctory efforts he made in relation to the water tablets; the checks he made in relation to those tablets were inadequate and fell some way below what it would be reasonable to expect of a professional footballer in these circumstances.”
Toure admitted that he was a relieved man as the whole drama is now over, but expressed his disappointment on missing out of City’s end season success.
The defender said “This has been a difficult period for me, and I am sad to have missed the team’s triumph of securing Champions League football for Manchester City and also the FA Cup victory at Wembley.
“But I am relieved that I will be able to return to football in September and thank the FA’s commission for their understanding about my case in coming to their decision today.”
Toure will miss the season upto the month of September and will not be allowed to play and participate in any football related activities anywhere. City’s manager, Roberto Mancini, will find it hard to replace the defender as Toure is a key player for the manager. However, City should be able to cope with this set-back, having the likes of some top class players warming the bench.
Tags: Defender, Football, Kolo Toure, Manchester City, Roberto Mancini
