To do drugs or not?

**Troy.McClure** · 10/02/2004, 9:32 AM

I dont really want to bring up the whole Rio Ferdinand thing again, but 2 Italians have had their bans for testing positive reduced today according to uefa.com ! Why doesnt Sep Blatter speak out about this?

Bans reduced for Kallon and Blasi
Monday, 09 February 2004
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has reduced on appeal the suspensions handed to FC Internazionale's Mohamed Kallon and Parma AC's Manuele Blasi for testing positive for the banned substance nandrolone.

Kallon sanction
The FIGC has cut Kallon's suspension by two months, meaning the Inter striker will be available to play again at the end of April. The 24-year-old Sierra Leone international was banned for eight months after giving a positive sample after the Serie A match against Udinese Calcio on 27 September.

Blasi due back
Blasi's six-month suspension has been reduced by one month. The 23-year-old tested positive after the game against AC Perugia on 14 September. The Italian Under-21 international will be able to return to action at the end of March.

**tiktok** · 10/02/2004, 9:39 AM

I think it's likely Rio will get a couple of months off his ban on appeal. remember that Davids and Stam only served eight months between them for positive drugs tests while at Juve and Lazio respecively. the italian league doesn't come down hard on drug offenders.

if there's a reason why Blatter gets involved in English affairs it's because when he was up for re-election they voted against him and wanted him to answer questions about financial irregularities (questions which have been conveniently swept aside since he won). he gets involved in everybody else's mess in the hope we forget about his own.

he's an idiot, repeatedly coming out with unbelievable rubbish. Having said that, his desire to limit substitutions in friendlies is one I share, since it'd stop the pointless eleven subs over the course of a friendly, denying anybody, managers included a decent look at fringe players.

Rant over.

**pete** · 10/02/2004, 11:05 AM

Unless FIFA want to be kicked out of the Olympics they gonna have to sign up to the International Anti Doping system fairly quicky & will soon see minimum 2 year bans & none of the 3 months bans annymore.