HISTORIC WORLD CUP FUROR AT 'INCOMPREHENCIBLE' FIFA DECISION TO LET U.S. FORWARD BALOGUN PLAY

ILE - FIFA President Gianni Infantino, right, awards President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Dec. 5, 2025.

Chris Carlson/AP

GENEVA — An all-time controversy in the World Cup's 96-year history was raging Monday ahead of the co-host United States and forward Folarin Balogun facing Belgium with a quarterfinals place at stake.

The Belgian soccer federation said it is challenging FIFA's ruling to let Balogun play despite getting a red card in his previous game — a shocking move made Sunday after pressure on the world soccer body's leader Gianni Infantino from his close ally, U.S. President Donald Trump.

The "deeply concerned" Belgians' statement just 11 hours before starting their round of 16 game in Seattle showed clear frustration with FIFA at what seemed a lack of good faith in shaping an urgent legal process.

European soccer body UEFA earlier criticized FIFA for an "incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," that it said "crossed a red line" by not enforcing Balogun's mandatory one-game ban for his foul tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Wednesday.

FIFA's ruling Sunday — to defer Balogun's ban for one year of probation — deviated from soccer's traditional rule of law and drew stinging criticism globally including from former World Cup stars and coaches at this tournament.

"It's a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup," Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals.

UEFA, whose member federations include Belgium, insisted: "Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not."

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined," said the European soccer body, which has often clashed with Infantino during his decade in FIFA power.

"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," said UEFA, where Infantino was its CEO-like general secretary from 2009 until being elected to lead FIFA in February 2016.

FIFA was asked Monday to comment on the UEFA criticism.

Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter, who was forced from office in 2015 in fallout from corruption scandals, posted Monday on social media: "Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies."

Belgium's legal options

Belgian officials had been preparing an appeal in Seattle in the early hours of Monday to challenge the Balogun ruling with a FIFA-appointed appeals judge. They said FIFA had not provided documents key to filing a valid appeal.

The round of 16 game against the U.S. is due to kick off at 5 p.m. local time.

"Regardless of the sporting outcome of the match," the Belgian federation said, "(we are) deeply concerned by the way these events have unfolded and will continue, in the hours, days and months ahead, to pursue every available avenue to uphold the fundamental principles of ethics, sporting fairness and the interests of football as a whole."

Soccer rules require teams ultimately judged to have fielded an ineligible player to default the game as a 3-0 loss. Belgium must first appeal to FIFA and then to the Court of Arbitration for Sport based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Balogun's tackle

Balogun was sent off directly for planting his cleated foot on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during a 2-0 win for the U.S. in the round of 32.

That kind of challenge has been a routine red card all season in competitions worldwide, and Balogun could have expected a two-game ban for serious foul play under the FIFA disciplinary code.

Still, similar challenges by star players have gone unpunished at this World Cup — by Lionel Messi for Argentina against Algeria and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi vs. Brazil. Bernardo Silva of Portugal got just a yellow card against Congo.

"I think a yellow card would have been fair," Balogun later suggested.

FIFA's interventions

This World Cup has been remarkable for FIFA under Infantino seeming to rewrite the norms of disciplinary action even before the tournament began.

A pattern of pardons opened FIFA to suggestions of executive intervention in the statutory independence of its judicial bodies, including the disciplinary committee that formally reprieved Balogun.

Cristiano Ronaldo was cleared to play in Portugal's opening World Cup game despite getting a red card for serious foul play in a qualifying game against Ireland last November. He struck an opponent with an elbow.

Ronaldo served his mandatory ban in Portugal's final qualifying game but he was reprieved from an expected two-game ban because FIFA introduced the idea of probation. An imposed three-game ban was less meaningful as two games were deferred during a one-year probationary period.

At the opening game on June 11, South Africa's Themba Zwane got a red card against Mexico for a similar offense to Ronaldo's and FIFA imposed a three-game ban with no probation. Zwane did not play again at the World Cup.

Three players sent off in their teams' qualifying games last year were surprisingly told by FIFA in May they could serve their bans in a future competition instead of at the World Cup, which was the long-standing norm.

Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo, Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Qatar defender Tarek Salman all had their bans waived for the World Cup.

US exceptionalism

This, FIFA said in May, was to ensure teams "can compete with their strongest possible squads on the biggest stage of men's international football."

The Balogun decision simply took this policy further, though not for other players shown a red card so far who were mandated to miss at least one game.

"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions," UEFA said, "let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension."

- The Associated Press

FORMER WIMBLEDON WINNER'S BAN SLAMMED AS 'COMPLETELY INSANE' BY WTA STAR

 

Marketa Vondrousova with inset of Eva Lys

Marketa Vondrousova has been hit with a lengthy ban from tennis following her refusal to submit a sample during an out-of-competition test, but one of her fellow WTA players has come to her defence.

2023 Wimbledon winner Vondrousova has not competed since the Adelaide International in January and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) dropped a bombshell in April when it announced that she had been charged after she denied a doping control officer entry to her home to conduct the test.

The case went to a hearing and a tribunal has now found her guilty and handed down a long suspension as the starting point for a sanction when a player refuses a test is the same as if they had tested positive.

The 26-year-old Vondrousova, who peaked at No 6 in the WTA Rankings, will miss the next four years of action and her suspension will only end on 21 June 2030.

Fellow tennis star Eva Lys was one of the first to react as she offered her support to the Czech star, writing on social media: “This is COMPLETELY insane. Sending so much love to Marketa…”

Under international anti-doping regulations, players have to submit their whereabouts for an hour each day so that officials can conduct anti-doping tests.

An official arrived at her home in the Czech Republic last December to get a sample, but Vondrousova refused to allow the officer in stating she feared for her safety.

Tennis News

Following the announcement, the 26-year-old posted a message on social media to give her side of events, writing: “It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health.

“The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.

“For a long time, I’ve been dealing with injury, constant pressure, and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile.

“It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time. And on top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space.

“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol – I reacted as a person who felt scared.

“In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything. Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.0) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (F41.1).

“In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just could not process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra [Kvitova], we don’t take strangers at our door lightly.”

Although her charge didn’t come with an automatic suspension, Vondrousova has not competed in recent months with the case going to a tribunal.

Vondrousova stated her case at the hearing, saying stress and poor mental health had affected her decision-making, in addition to concerns for her safety.

But the tribunal concluded that the evidence offered “no compelling justification” for the test refusal.

International Tennis Integrity Agency CEO, Karen Moorhouse said: “We understand that the testing process is uncomfortable, and acknowledge that it is an additional burden for players whose jobs already come with a high level of pressure and scrutiny, but it is essential to protect fair competition.

“Safety and welfare of players and our testers is really important to us. Our testers are well-trained, professional, and the gender of our testing witness always matches the player. They carry ID at all times, and players are able to verify their identity in other ways if they are ever unsure.”

She added: “Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport.

“The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk.”

Vondrousova is free to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but she is yet to make a statement following the announcement by the ITIA.

- Shahida Jacobs

THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ENGLAND HAS DISQUALIFIED MUDRYK FOR FOUR YEARS FOR DOPING

Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk has filed an appeal against the four-year disqualification decision, which has been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Football Association (FA) has disqualified Ukraine national team and London Chelsea midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk for 4 years for violating anti-doping rules. This was reported by UNN with reference to talkSPORT journalist Ben Jacobs and The Athletic. 

The Football Association imposed a four-year ban on Mykhailo Mudryk after a prohibited substance was detected in his system in 2024. The Chelsea star has already filed an appeal against this decision, which has been referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) 

- the journalist reported. 

The disqualification of the Ukrainian international will be backdated and will include a provisional suspension, which will keep him out of the game until 2028, although the exact date of his return is not yet known.

Currently, the parties (Mudryk and CAS - ed.) are exchanging written statements, and a hearing has not yet been scheduled. Subsequently, sources told us at talkSPORT that the disqualification period is four years, and Mudryk, using the services of the same lawyers as Paul Pogba, hopes to either achieve an acquittal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport or, in the worst-case scenario, secure a reduction in the disqualification period 

- the journalist adds. 

Addendum

In January 2023, Mykhailo Mudryk moved from Shakhtar Donetsk to London's Chelsea. The "Miners" received 70 million euros for the player and could also receive another 30 million euros in the form of bonuses. 

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhiy Palkin stated in an interview with ESPN that Shakhtar risks losing a significant amount in bonus payments. 

"There are 30 million euros in bonuses in his contract. And if he doesn't play, if Chelsea doesn't achieve results, we will lose 30 million euros. This is a big financial blow for us. Therefore, everyone believes that this story will end as soon as possible with positive results, and Mudryk will return to the game. Otherwise, we will be in a position where we lose 30 million euros. I know Mudryk as a player and a person. I believe he will return and start playing. I know this because I have never met such a guy in my life. He is very hardworking. And he will prove that he is capable of playing and bringing results to the team. But, as I understand it, at the moment everyone is waiting for the court's decision, and we have no information about when this will happen and when the final decision will be made. Therefore, everyone is waiting for information" 

- Palkin said recently.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne confirmed receipt of the appeal from Mykhailo Mudryk against the decision of the English Football Association.

CAS confirms that it received an appeal from Mykhailo Mudryk against the FA, filed on February 25, 2026. The parties are currently exchanging written submissions, and a hearing has not yet been scheduled 

– CAS informed The Athletic. 

In 2024, the Ukrainian midfielder of the English football club Chelsea, Mykhailo Mudryk, failed a doping test. 

Subsequently, Chelsea confirmed the positive doping test of Ukrainian midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk. In turn, the footballer himself stated that he did not knowingly consume any prohibited substances. 

The Football Association (FA) charged Ukrainian Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk with violating anti-doping rules. 

In June last year, Mudryk received a positive result from a "B" doping sample. 

During his suspension from football, Mudryk spends time, in particular, on computer games, including Counter-Strike 2.

Thus, in February of this year, the footballer was involved in a scandal during a Faceit match with Poles. The London club winger insulted players from Poland, specifically with his remarks regarding Volhynia, for which he received a ban in the game. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even had to intervene in the Mudryk situation; in particular, the ministry emphasized that there should be no place for such incidents. 

- Pavlo Bashynskyi, UNN  

CAF SECRETARY GENERAL RESIGNS AMID AFCON FINAL FALLOUT

 

AFP via Getty Images

The general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has resigned amid a chaotic time for football on the continent.

Veron Mosengo-Omba said in a statement he was retiring, but his departure comes during the fallout over decisions to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and postpone the women's tournament at the last minute.

These incidents have left CAF, the governing body for African football, battling a crisis of confidence.

Mosengo-Omba alluded to controversies faced during his tenure in his statement on Sunday.

"Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever," Mosengo-Omba, deputy to Caf president Patrice Motsepe, wrote.

The 66-year-old has been criticised for staying on as general secretary past the organisation's mandatory retirement age of 63.

He has also been accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere in the workplace, although an investigation after staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Mosengo-Omba, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo but also holds Swiss nationality, was appointed general secretary in March 2021.

According to news agency Reuters, Caf's competitions director, Samson Adamu, will take over as acting general secretary.

The governing body is awaiting a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the Afcon title.

Senegal is challenging CAF's appeals body for overturning their 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in January's Afcon final.

During the game, Senegal's players left the field in protest when, with the score at 0-0, hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

When they returned after a delay of about 17 minutes, Morocco subsequently failed to score the spot-kick and Senegal netted an extra-time winner.

Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), Caf later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match and Morocco were awarded a 3-0 victory.

- Wedaeli Chibelushi

FIFA REJECTS FAM'S APPEAL OVER NATURALISED PLAYETS, BUT SHOULD MALAYSIA CONTINUE FIGHT WITH ARBITRATION?

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will be appealing Fifa's decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Summary

• FAM will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after FIFA upheld fines for using allegedly fake documents for naturalised players.

• FAM faces a 350,000 Swiss franc fine, while seven players face individual fines and suspensions.

• Opposition leaders demand accountability from ministers, while concerns rise over the use of public funds for legal fees amid fan criticism.

KUALA LUMPUR – The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will be taking its case to an arbiter after losing on Nov 3 its appeal over penalties imposed following the scandal embroiling naturalised players in the national team, saying it was “very surprised by (Fifa’s) decision”.

Global governing body Fifa has upheld a 350,000 Swiss franc (S$564,900) fine against FAM, while the seven players in question were fined 2,000 Swiss franc each and suspended from all football-related activities for 12 months.

FAM’s decision to appeal the decision was, however, derided by some fans of the national team, who criticised the move as a waste of resources when allocations are already tight.

“After analysing the submissions and conducting a hearing, the Appeal Committee decided to dismiss the appeals, and to confirm in its entirety the following sanctions imposed upon FAM and the seven players,” the Fifa Appeal Committee said in a statement.

“FAM and the players have been notified of the terms of the decision,” it added.

It said FAM and players have 10 days to request a detailed ruling from Fifa, and 21 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – a step FAM said it intends to take.

“FAM will write to Fifa to obtain full details and written reasons for the decision before taking the next step of appealing to the CAS,” its acting president Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said in a statement on Nov 3.

“This is the first time FAM has faced such a situation. Our lawyers and management are very surprised by the decision.”

On Sept 26, seven naturalised players from Harimau Malaya – as the national team is nicknamed – were suspended by Fifa over the use of allegedly fake documents that showed their ties to Malaysia.

The seven are: Spain-born Gabriel Felipe Arrocha, Facundo Tomas Garces and Jon Irazabal Iraurgui; Netherlands-born Hector Alejandro Hevel Serrano; Argentina-born Rodrigo Julian Holgado and Imanol Javier Machuca; and Brazil-born Joao Vitor Brandao Figueiredo.

On Oct 7, Fifa released its grounds for the decision, showing that the grandparents of the players had been born in Spain, Argentina, Brazil and the Netherlands, and not in Malaysia.

A player must at least have a grandparent born in the country, if they wish to play for the national team.

Fifa’s decision on the appeal came less than a week after Argentine news publication Capital de Noticias published on Oct 31 a copy of the birth certificate of Garces’ grandfather, Carlos Rogelio Fernandez.

According to its report, both Fernandez and his father were Argentine citizens born in Santa Fe in the country, despite FAM previously telling Fifa that Fernandez was born in Penang.

Mr Garces had on Sept 26 brushed off concerns over his ancestry, attributing the affair to a clerical error.

“I’m a Malaysian from my grandparents’ roots and I’m honoured to play for my country,” Garces wrote in an Instagram post that has since been deleted.

Amid mounting scrutiny, FAM appointed former chief justice Md Raus Sharif to lead an independent investigation into the case and recommend further action.

Tun Raus, who helmed Malaysia’s judiciary from 2017 to 2018, said on Nov 3 that the investigation and report would be completed within six weeks.

“The committee will carry out their duties independently and with full commitment to ensure transparency and fairness in their findings,” Mr Raus told The Star after the committee’s first meeting.

But Opposition leaders have been unsparing in their criticism, calling instead for Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution and Sports and Youth Minister Hannah Yeoh to either be suspended or step down.

“This is an epic scandal that not only disappointed supporters but also embarrassed the country,” Opposition MP Syahir Sulaiman posted on X on Nov 4.

While FAM can take the next step with CAS, not everybody is convinced it should go through with the move.

“FAM has a whole lot of explaining to do. So who is the agent(s) who recommended the footballers? Will the footballers now initiate legal action against FAM?,” asked veteran sports journalist Haresh Deol in a Nov 4 LinkedIn post.

“And more importantly, will FAM use the RM15 million (plus RM15 million from the private sector) allocated in Budget 2025 to pay the fines and legal fees to take this matter up to CAS?”

On FAM’s Facebook page, some commenters were supportive of the federation taking it up with the CAS. Top commenter Mohd Azhar Nordin said FAM should go ahead if it feels this is its “last lifeline” to correct its course.

Meanwhile, comments on Harimau Malaya, a Facebook fan page of the national football team that carries the same name, were more critical. User Afendy Pay said that going to the CAS would also open the room for Vietnam and Nepal to dispute Malaysia’s Asian Cup wins against the two countries.

“At CAS, there’s a high chance FAM will lose. At AFC (Asian Cup), there’s a high chance Vietnam and Nepal will win. So, let time determine FAM’s fate.”

- Hadi Azmi

YOUNG AFRICANS' (YANGA) TAKING THEIR DISPUTE CASE TO FIFA AFTER CAS DISAPPOINTMENT

 

COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORTS HAS THROWN OUT YOUNG AFRICANS' CASE

 

STATEMENT OF APPEAL FROM YOUNG AFRICANS (YANGA) TO THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORTS (CAS)

 

'THERE IS SO MUCH OF INCONSISTENCIES': NOVAK DJOKIVIC CALKS FOR OVERHAUL OF TENNIS ANTI-DOPING SYSTEM AMID CONTROVERSIAL CASES

Novak Djokovic (AP Photo)

Novak Djokovic called for a comprehensive reform of tennis's anti-doping protocols, highlighting disparities in the handling of cases involving prominent players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek compared to lower-ranked competitors

The world's top-ranked player, Sinner, received a three-month suspension on Saturday, acknowledging "partial responsibility" for his team's errors resulting in two positive clostebol tests in March last year.

Initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency in August, Sinner faced a potential two-year suspension when WADA appealed to CAS. However, WADA unexpectedly dropped its appeal, settling for a three-month ban.

In a related development last year, Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension following a positive test for trimetazidine, a prohibited cardiac medication.

"There's a majority of the players that I've talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled," said Djokovic. "A majority of the players don't feel that it's fair.

A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It seems like, it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers."

By contrast, former world number one Simona Halep received a four-year suspension from ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat. She successfully reduced her ban to nine months through CAS after proving contaminated supplements were responsible.

"Simona Halep and (Britain's) Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years, or have gotten the ban for years," said Djokovic. "There is so much inconsistencies between the cases."

Djokovic, set to compete at the Qatar Open following his injury withdrawal from the Australian Open semi-finals, advocates for systematic changes.

Right now it's a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn't work (for) anti-doping, it's obvious," he said.

"I hope that in the next period of the near future that the governing bodies are going to come together, of our tours and the tennis ecosystem, and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes. It's inconsistent, and it appears to be very unfair."

If you are going to treat every case individually or independently, which is what's happening, then there's no consistency, then there is no transparency, and some cases are transparent, some are not," he continued. "The problem is that right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, towards WADA and ITIA, and the whole process."

 - TOI Sports Desk

JANNIK SINNER BANNED FROM TENNIS FOR THREE MONTHS IN DROPPING SETTLEMENT

World number one to return in time for May’s French Open

Jannik Sinner in action for Italy during the Davis Cup Finals in November 2024. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for ITF

World number one Jannik Sinner has accepted an immediate three-month doping ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said they had reached a settlement on his period of ineligibility, allowing him to return before the French Open in May.

WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal’s decision in August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing after the three-times major winner failed drug tests.

Sinner, who successfully defended his Australian Open crown last month, had tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol which the 23-year-old said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.

Sinner’s ban began on February 9th and will end on May 4th, while he can return to training on April 13th. The French Open main draw is scheduled to begin on May 25th.

“WADA confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation,” WADA said in a statement on Saturday.

“WADA accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

“However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence.”

Jannik Sinner with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup trophy after winning the men's singles final at the Australian Open. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

The case was set to be heard by CAS in April and Sinner was in danger of being banned for up to two years.

The Masters tournaments Sinner will miss include Indian Wells, the Miami Open, Monte Carlo and Madrid.

WADA has formally withdrawn its appeal to CAS after they reached a settlement while they did not seek disqualification of his results.

“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,” Sinner said in a statement.

“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love.

“On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3 month sanction.”

Sinner is the second high-ranked player to accept a doping ban in recent months after world number two Iga Świątek accepted a one-month suspension in November having tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

Swiatek had been provisionally suspended from September 12th to October 4th, missing three tournaments as a result, while she also forfeited prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test.

Poland's Iga Swiatek during the 2025 WTA Qatar Open quarter-final. Photograph: Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi said Sinner would be welcomed with open arms at the Italian Open, which begins in Rome three days after his ban ends.

“This is the first time that a shameful injustice makes us happy because our first thought is for the boy who sees the end of a nightmare,” Binaghi said.

“This agreement between the two parties certifies Jannik’s innocence, his absolute non-guilt, and finally allows him to calm down and plan his future with a great comeback ... in Rome.”

Australian Nick Kyrgios, who had previously said the two doping incidents were ‘disgusting’ for the sport, said it was a “sad day for tennis” after several other players received longer bans for similar positive tests.

“Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a three-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” Kyrgios wrote on social media platform X.

“Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

Sinner’s lawyer Jamie Singer said WADA had confirmed the facts determined by the independent tribunal.

“It is clear that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this situation,” Singer said.

- The Irish Times

PAUL POGBA DRIVEN BY ANGER TO RETURN BETTER FROM DOPING BAN

 

Getty 

Paul Pogba has warned he will return to football "even better" from his ban for taking a prohibited substance, stating that he is driven by "anger" at his absence.

The 2018 World Cup winner is set to restart his career in March 2025 after seeing his ban for taking DHEA, a testosterone-enhancing supplement, reduced from four years to 18 months.

"For sure. It's going to be a new Pogba," he said when asked by ESPN if he can reach the heights of his peak despite the enforced break from the sport. "That's definitely for sure. And in the positive way, like I said, with more hunger, with more determination.

"I feel like a kid that just want to be professional again, that never signed professional. So this is the anger I have. That's what drives me. And I will do everything to come back at the level I was before and even better. Why not?"

Pogba, who told ESPN that he considered retiring before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the severity of his ban, said he is determined to prove his fitness after injuries blighted his latter years at Manchester United and his return to Juventus.

After rejoining the Serie A side in 2022, Pogba managed just 161 minutes in 10 appearances in all competitions in the 2022-23 season as he was affected by knee, hamstring and groin problems.

"When you're injured mentally you probably get injured also physically," the 31-year-old said. "So one of the important things was to clean all that and have only positive energy around me, and obviously by being professional, by doing the right thing -- you're not 18 anymore for sure.

"So you have to take care of yourself and I want to dedicate all this time that I have and for the next year to dedicate on obviously what I love the most and to be at the level I want to be."

Pogba also said he is intent looking at football in a different light after nearly seeing his livelihood abruptly ended.

"When they take something from you that you love so much and that's when you appreciate it the most," he said. "So I see football totally different now, and I will enjoy every moment that I will have until the end of my career.

"Because I see [the ban as] a test, I've tested something like what would happen at the end of your career when you don't play anymore. So I just want to appreciate it, enjoy it and make people enjoy it."

Pogba and his entourage are holding contract termination talks with Juventus ahead of his planned return to football next March.

- Julien Laurens, Correspondent

PAUL POGBA'S DOPING BAN REDUCED TO 18 MONTHS AFTER CAS APPEAL

Paul Pogba has not played a competitive game in over a year. Stefano Guidi/Getty Images

 World Cup winner Paul Pogba's doping suspension has been reduced to 18 months from an initial four years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

"The suspension is now 18 months, starting Sept. 11, 2023," CAS director general Matthieu Reeb told Reuters.

The decision means that the former France international will be eligible to make a return to competitive football in March 2025.

Pogba welcomed the decision in a statement.

"Finally the nightmare is over," he said. "Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

"I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes."

Four-year bans are standard under the World Anti-Doping Code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was not intentional, if the positive test was a result of contamination or if they provide "substantial assistance" to help investigators.

Pogba, 31, has not played since August 2023 after he tested positive for DHEA -- a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone -- following Juventus' Serie A game against Udinese.

He was provisionally suspended by Italy's national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September that year before being handed a four-year ban in February 2024.

Pogba, who has a contract with Juventus until June 2026, denied any wrongdoing and said he would appeal to CAS.

"I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation," he added in Friday's statement.

"This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.

"I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch."

Sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens that Pogba has worked to maintain his fitness during his ban and he believes it won't take long for him to regain match sharpness, despite not playing a competitive game in almost 14 months.

Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022 after his second stint at Manchester United. After his return to Italy, he was hampered by injuries. He played in 178 matches for Juventus from 2012 to 2016.

He was ruled out of France's run to the World Cup final in 2022 with a knee injury.

Pogba helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

WADA TO APPEAL JANNIK SINNER DOPING VERDICT, SEEKS SUSPENSION

 

Jannik Sinner defeated Jack Draper in the U.S Open final earlier this month. Julia Nikhinson/AP

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision in August to clear world No.1 Jannik Sinner of wrongdoing after he failed drug tests, WADA said on Saturday.

The tribunal's finding of "no fault or negligence" was not correct under the applicable rules, WADA said in a statement.

WADA said it would seek "a period of ineligibility of between one and two years" for Italy's Sinner, who won the Australian Open and the US Open this year.

The announcement was made while Sinner was on court against Roman Safiullin at the China Open in Beijing.

Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but was not banned in a decision by an independent tribunal announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Aug. 20 because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.

Sinner's accepted explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat their own cut finger.

WADA said it filed an appeal on Thursday to the Switzerland-based CAS.

"It is WADA's view that the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules," WADA said in a statement. "WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance."

WADA suggested the rules were not followed correctly despite a prosecutor for tennis's integrity body -- which accepted Sinner's version of events -- being a lawyer who regularly works on high-profile cases for the global watchdog, including the successful appeal against Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.

An appeal verdict at CAS could come quickly -- even within just a few months -- if the parties agree to cooperate. That's how it worked in another high-profile doping case in tennis involving Maria Sharapova.

Still, the case likely won't be resolved before Sinner begins the defense of his Australian Open title in January.

Sharapova tested positive at the Australian Open in January 2016 for the newly banned heart medication meldonium. She was banned for two years in June that year by the International Tennis Federation.

The Russian star appealed to CAS, had an appeal hearing in New York before three judges that September, and four weeks later got the verdict that cut her ban to 15 months.

The entire process for Sharapova with CAS took just four months -- far shorter than most doping cases, which typically last for about one year. The timeline can stall with the complexities of picking a judging panel, finding a hearing date and parties exchanging documents and evidence from expert witnesses.

During the Indian Wells hard-court event in March, Sinner tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use. It's the same drug for which San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended by MLB in 2022.

Sinner tested positive again eight days later in an out-of-competition sample.

He was provisionally suspended twice by the tennis integrity body because of those test results, but he successfully appealed twice to an independent tribunal judge and was allowed to keep competing on tour.

Sinner said his test results happened because his fitness trainer purchased an over-the-counter spray called Trofodermin in Italy that contained Clostebol and gave it to Sinner's physiotherapist to treat a cut on the physiotherapist's finger. The physiotherapist then treated Sinner without wearing gloves.

The ITIA said it accepted Sinner's explanation, after 10 interviews with the player and his entourage, and the independent panel agreed at a hearing on Aug. 15.

Sinner later announced that he had fired his two trainers.

Information from Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

ARBITRATION PANEL WONT CONSIDER DECISION ON CHILES' MEDAL

Photo: Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

USA Gymnastics officials said an arbitration panel won't reconsider a decision asking gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze medal she was awarded in the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics.

USA Gymnastics said it will continue efforts to let Chiles keep the medal.

"USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented," USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

"We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan."

CAS voided an on-floor appeal from Chiles' coach that vaulted her to third, saying the appeal came 4 seconds beyond the one-minute time limit for scoring inquiries.

USA Gymnastics disputed the timing, saying in a statement Sunday that the agency submitted video evidence to CAS that showed Team USA coach Cecile Landi first appealed 13 seconds before the deadline.

The dispute over such minute details sets up what could be a monthslong or yearslong legal battle over the gymnastics scores.

The International Gymnastics Federation said Saturday night it would respect the court's decision and elevate Ana Barbosu of Romania to third. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the ruling Sunday, announcing it was reallocating the medal.

CAS ruled Saturday that Landi's inquiry to have 0.1 added to Chiles' score came outside the one-minute window. The CAS ad hoc committee wrote that Landi's inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles' initial score was posted.

The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles' bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.

The appeal could go to Switzerland's highest court, the Swiss Tribunal, or the European Court of Human Rights.

Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won gold, and Simone Biles of the U.S. was the silver medalist.

- Associated Press 

BRAZIL SOCCER PLAYER GABRIEL BARBOSA CLEARED BY CAS TO PLAY DURING APPEAL IN DROPPING RULES CASE

AP Photo 

 LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Brazilian soccer player Gabriel Barbosa can resume playing pending an appeal against his ban for a breach of doping rules, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Tuesday.

The Flamengo and Brazil forward, known as Gabigol, is challenging a two-year ban imposed in March by an anti-doping tribunal in Brazil.

He was judged to have evaded a doping control in April 2023 and banned until April next year. He denied a charge of doping fraud.

The CAS said its panel of judges “has issued an order granting the request to stay the execution of the challenged decision filed by Gabriel Barbosa.”

The court gave no timetable for an appeal hearing and verdict in the case.

“I stress that I never tried to obstruct or fraud any test. I trust that I will be found not guilty in my appeal,” Barbosa said in March.

Barbosa played in the Brazil team that won the 2016 Olympics gold medal as the home team in Rio de Janeiro, then aged 19 joined Inter Milan. He returned to Brazil in 2019 with Flamengo and has helped the Rio club win two Copa Libertadores titles.

RUSSIAN FIGURE STATER VALIEVA BANNED FOR DOPING, ROC LOSES OLYMPIC GOLD - CAS

 

Reuters 

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a four-year doping ban on Monday, effectively stripping the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) of its gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games nearly two years after the competition.

In its long-awaited ruling, the highest court in sport found Valieva guilty of committing an anti-doping rule violation that rattled the Beijing Olympics and frustrated competitors who are still waiting for their medals from the event to be allocated.

"Kamila Valieva is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation and sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility commencing on 25 December 2021," the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said.

The court added that all of Valieva's competitive results achieved since that date are voided, including the gold medal she helped ROC win in the team event at the 2022 Games.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), one of the parties that brought the case to CAS, welcomed the decision, describing it as a victory for fair sport.

CAS REGISTERED RUSSIAN APPEAL AGAINST OLYMPIC MEMBERSHIP SUGGESTION

Getty

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has registered an appeal filed by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) against the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to suspend its membership, the independent judicial body said on Monday.

The challenge arose over the IOC's suspension of the ROC following the ROC decision to include as its members some regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine.

AMERICAN BROOKSBY SUSPENDED FOR 18 MONTHS ON WHEREABOUTS FAILURES

An independent tribunal has suspended American player Jenson Brooksby for 18 months, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Tuesday, after finding that he committed three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period.

The 22-year-old, who achieved his highest career ranking of 33rd last year, previously accepted a voluntary provisional suspension and his sanction will be backdated to July 5. The sanction will end on January 4, 2025, according to the ITIA.

SHEIKH AHMAD, BROTHER FILE CASES AGAINST IOC AT CAS OVER ELECTION

Reuters

Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has lodged a case against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following his ban for "influencing" the election of his brother to a key Olympic post.

Sheikh Ahmad was banned from the IOC for three years in July after it found he had an "undeniable impact" on Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) elections in which his brother, Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was appointed president.

The IOC's ethics commission said the IOC should not recognise Sheikh Talal's appointment until a full review of the OCA elections process was carried out.

RUSSIA BANNED FOR 4 YEARS | NO 2020 OLYMPICS | NO 2022 WORLD CUP

Russia has been banned by World Anti-Doping Agency to participate in all major events in period of 4 years...