The head of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) is set to appear before a committee of British lawmakers on Tuesday with the sound of criticism from England's Football Association still ringing in her ears. FA chiefs are unhappy that Nicole Sapstead, the chief executive of UKAD, appeared to suggest that English football had a problem in tackling the use of performance-enhancing drugs, saying her comments were "misleading".
Sapstead said "something doesn't feel right" about football and would seek talks with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, a longstanding advocate of tougher anti-doping measures. However, the Gunners boss contrasted the 'clean' position in Britain with the situation in Europe, where he said continental governing body UEFA "basically accepts doping" after Arijan Ademi was banned for four years having failed a drugs test during Dinamo Zagreb's Champions League victory over Arsenal only for the result to stand.
FA officials were concerned by Sapstead's comments in which she suggested football had a doping problem without offering specific examples. "I think it's foolish for any sport to think that they're immune from doping, I really do. Statistically, world-wide, football per se does not have a doping problem," Saptead said earlier this week.
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