FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that Russia will face any "necessary actions and sanctions'' after investigators alleged that football players "had suspicious drug-test samples covered up" as part of a wider doping scandal in the 2018 World Cup host nation, according to the AP. Five "suspicious samples" in the Russian men's U17 and U21 national teams in '13 and '14 were exposed in emails released earlier this month by the World Anti-Doping Agency, accompanying investigator Richard McLaren's report into Russian doping. Then-Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is also in charge of Russia's World Cup preparations, "has been accused of covering up a doping case in the Russian league." Asked whether he still trusts Mutko, Infantino said, "He is a council member and of course we are working together.'' Infantino added, "I don't think we should mix up a doping issue, even if it is a big doping issue, with the organization for the World Cup which is a completely different thing where it comes to anti-doping in the World Cup. This is a FIFA matter. It will be dealt with by FIFA officials in world accredited laboratories ... very probably in Switzerland" (AP, 12/28).
CONTINUED PRESSURE: REUTERS' Alexander Cornwell reported Infantino said that FIFA will continue to "put pressure" on Qatar about the treatment of migrant laborers building World Cup stadiums for the '22 tournament. He said that positive progress had been made "in terms of the treatment of workers" but more needed to be done. He added, "We will put pressure, we will continue to do that" (REUTERS, 12/28).
