Phil Jones has been banned for two matches and Daley Blind fined by UEFA after the Manchester United pair were found guilty of breaching the governing body’s doping regulations after the Europa League final in May.
Jones was found to be verbally abusive toward a doping control officer after he was requested to attend drug-testing after the Europa League final.
Jones will now miss the UEFA Super Cup match against Real Madrid next week and United’s first Champions League group stage match in September. He has also been fined €5,000.
Press Association Sport reported that Blind was reluctant to take a test as requested because he wanted to celebrate with his teammates, whose 2-0 victory over Ajax ensured their qualification for this season’s Champions League. He was fined €5,000.
There is no suggestion that either player was guilty of doping.
United have been fined €10,000 over the rule breaches. The club are reported to be aware of UEFA’s decisions and have three days to appeal against them.
UEFA announced the charges and sanctions on its website on Monday afternoon.
In its statement, it said: “The club (United) has been charged for infringements of the UEFA anti-doping regulations (ADR) concerning the doping control procedure.
“In particular, according to Appendix B (17) of the aforementioned regulations, ‘the teams are responsible for ensuring that the players drawn to undergo doping controls are taken by the respective team representatives to the doping control station straight from the pitch as soon as the match is over. This applies even when chaperones are appointed by UEFA’.
“The player Philip Jones has been charged for insulting and directing abusive language towards the doping control officer (Article 15 (1) of the UEFA disciplinary regulations), as well as for lack of co-operation and respect towards the doping control procedure (Article 6.05 ADR).
“The player Daley Blind has been charged for violation and non-compliance with Article 6.05 (a) of the UEFA anti-doping regulations, which states that ‘every player designated to undergo as doping control is personally responsible for reporting immediately to the doping control station as notified’.”
However, United have not yet indicated to UEFA whether they will appeal or not.
