The Premier League is reportedly "satisfied with the number of drug tests carried out" by the FA’s anti-doping program, despite a report that "alleged almost one third of players were not tested last season," according to Ed Aarons of the London GUARDIAN. An investigation claimed that 366 first-team squad players at top-flight clubs out of a total of around 530 were tested, "meaning more than 150 did not provide urine or blood samples throughout the whole 12-month period." The shortfall "is believed to include a large number of players who made fewer than five appearances," although the report states a total of 444 exceeded that figure. However, those statistics "are not believed to have raised concerns at the Premier League," which is understood to "be happy with the number of tests carried out" by UK Anti-Doping on behalf of the FA. It remains "the only worldwide league where players must give notice of their whereabouts and can be visited by testers at home," with all squad members "likely to face at least one test during the course of a 12-month period." According to the report, 68% were out of competition -- more than three times the equivalent number in Germany’s professional leagues -- while players involved in European club and int'l football are "also likely to face extra testing" from UEFA and FIFA. However, those figures "are way below the level of testing in both tennis and cycling, where players are routinely tested in and out of competition" (GUARDIAN, 4/14).
