The "absence of drug testing in Spanish football in the past 11 months" has "alarmed" WADA. Since March '16, "just 57 tests have been done on La Liga players from clubs not competing in Europe and none at all in the country's second division." Spain's anti-doping body (AEPSAD) was declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency in March '16 (BBC, 2/10). AEPSAD said on Friday that it "expects to be able to resume drug testing once the government approves a global code, possibly by the end of this month" (REUTERS, 2/10).
Hundreds of "promising young footballers may be slipping through the net at Premier League clubs because they are small for their age," according to research carried out at ManU. A study of 293 players at ManU’s academy between the ages of nine and 16 shows that "late developers were 20 times less likely to be selected at 16" than boys who had matured at a normal rate. The research was prompted by former Manager Alex Ferguson during his tenure and has been published in the Science and Medicine in Football journal (LONDON TIMES, 2/10).
Former referee Roberto Rosetti said that technology to assist referees "should be implemented in Serie A" from '18. Rosetti, who refereed the Euro 2008 final between Spain and Germany, is currently head of trials of a new video assistant referee system in Serie A. He said, "There is no turning back now: technology to help referees is a reality" (ESPN.com, 2/10).
Ligue 1 side Monaco VP Vadim Vasilyev has been given a one-game ban for alleging French referees "are biased" in favor of Lyon. Vasilyev made the claims in the wake of Monaco's 3-1 defeat to Lyon on Dec. 18, "and then repeated them in an interview with L'Equipe published 48 hours later." The suspension means Vasilyev "can take no official part in Monaco's top-flight trip to Bastia on Feb. 17" (ESPN.com, 2/10).
The FA of Wales will be appeal sanctions imposed by FIFA for displaying poppies during a World Cup qualifier. The FAW was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($19,950) following commemorations prior to Wales' World Cup qualifier against Serbia in November (BBC, 2/10).
At least 17 people have been killed in "a stampede at a football stadium in the northern Angolan city of Uige." Hundreds more were reported to have been injured when supporters "stormed the gates after failing to gain entry" (BBC, 2/10). Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos ordered an investigation into the cause of the stampede. He said in a statement on Friday, "I express my solidarity with the families of the deceased and have instructed the Provincial Government of Uige to provide all necessary assistance to the injured and have given guidance to the competent authorities to open an inquiry" (REUTERS, 2/11).
