FIFA may take strong action over Rio case

FIFA today warned they could step in over the Rio Ferdinand drug case if they feel the Football Association are not handling the case properly.

The men who run world football are under pressure to demonstrate that the game is as tough on drug offenders as other sports. They are keeping a close watch on developments after the Manchester United defender was dropped from England's Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey last weekend and are expected to discuss the case at a meeting in Qatar on Friday.

FIFA medical chief Jiri Dvorak stressed the governing body had confidence in the FA and would never intervene in the middle of proceedings.

But he said: "If we think it is done inappropriately we might look at it. We have the right to re-open the case. But the FA is an experienced association and each case has been worked out individually."

Their doping control committee chief Michel D'Hooghe added: "The case is serious and he certainly has to be punished."

FIFA, whose rules recommend a one-year ban for missing a test, would be reponsible for imposing any FA sanction internationally.

The Ferdinand affair is taking place at a time when football is battling to ditch its reputation for being soft on drug cheats.

FIFA came under fire at last year's World Cup finals for not allowing independent observers from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to monitor its drug-testing.

The game still faces the threat of being banned from next year's Athens Olympics if the governing body does not adopt the new WADA code aimed at standardising testing and sanctions across all sports.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is also said to be very concerned by last week's threatened strike by England players.

Ferdinand, who says he forgot about the test at United's training ground on 23 September because he was in the middle of moving house, may not hear today about any charge since the FA have requested additional information from United as well as phone records.

The records should show whether Ferdinand received voice and text messages when club staff tried frantically to contact him after he left the training complex.

The defender is hoping that the fact he contacted the FA later in the day in a bid to put matters right will help his defence.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand's England and United team-mate Gary Neville has launched a scathing attack on the FA over their handling of the missed drugs test.

Neville said: "There is no doubt in my mind that Rio was prejudged by the Football Association.

"Yes, he missed a drugs test, but he deserved a hearing before people started passing sentence. Other players have missed drug tests and not been banned, but Rio was punished even before he had the chance to explain himself."

The FA have denied making Ferdinand's situation public knowledge, but Neville added: "Did they really believe that it would remain a secret when the press knew that the squad announcement had been delayed by 48 hours because of something serious?" Neville also defended the England squad's backing of Ferdinand, to such a point that it was feared they would boycott Saturday's game in Istanbul.

"None of us condones drugs, none of us believes that drugs tests should be taken lightly, but we also believe that Rio deserved our loyalty when he was hung out to dry before a trial," he said

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