Alexis Sanchez missed Arsenal drugs test while completing Man Utd move
Alexis Sanchez was at the centre of an anti-doping controversy on Thursday after he was recorded absent during a visit by drugs testers to Arsenal while completing his move to Manchester United.
An inquiry was underway into a potential breach of the Football Association’s whereabouts regulations with regard to the 29-year-old not being present for Monday’s no-notice call, which took place 24 hours before his unveiling by United.
United, Arsenal and the FA all declined to comment on the case and it is unclear whether Sanchez or either club faced a strike on their records, three of which by either an individual player or team within a 12-month period is deemed to be an anti-doping rule violation.
There is no suggestion Chile star Sanchez sought to evade a drugs test and it is unlikely he would even have been aware where he should have been that day for testing purposes.
That is because clubs have assumed responsibility for informing the authorities of each of their players’ whereabouts for a specified hour each day, usually during a training session.
How would Alexis Sanchez fit in at Manchester United?
If there has been any breach of the rules, it is almost certain to have been as the result of an administrative blunder linked to Sanchez’s transfer from Arsenal to United.
Manchester City and Bournemouth were both fined £35,000 each last season after failing to ensure their whereabouts information was accurate on three occasions within a 12-month period.
Those penalties were criticised as being too soft, prompting the FA to announce a review of its sanctions.
City’s doctor, Matthew Brown, also admitted in September that their breach had left a stigma.
He said: “We’re obviously not happy as a club because it does bring our badge into disrepute but these have been admin errors and there have been no specific anti-doping offences.”
