Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana banned for 12 months over anti-doping violation

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana faces a 12-month ban for breaching ant-doping rules.

UEFA imposed the suspension following an ‘out of competition’ check on October 30 last year, which found the substance Furosemide.

The ban is effective immediately and applies to both national and international football.

Responding to the ban, Ajax confirmed they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after Onana unknowingly took the wrong medication when feeling unwell.

“On the morning of October 30, Onana was feeling unwell. He wanted to take a pill to ease the discomfort. Unknowingly, however, he took Lasimac, a drug that his wife had previously been prescribed. Onana’s confusion resulted in him mistakenly taking his wife’s medicine, ultimately causing this measure to be taken by UEFA against the goalkeeper. Furthermore, the disciplinary body of the football association has stated that Onana had no intention of cheating. However, the European Football Association believes, on the basis of the applicable anti-doping rules, that an athlete has a duty at all times to ensure that no banned substances enter the body.” The statement reads.

“Onana and Ajax will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).”

Ajax’s Managing director Edwin van der Sar stood by the goalkeeper: “We explicitly renounce performance-enhancing drugs, we obviously stand for a clean sport. This is a terrible setback, for Andre himself but certainly also for us as a club. Andre is a top goalkeeper, who has proven his worth for Ajax for years and is very popular with the fans. We had hoped for a conditional suspension or for a suspension much shorter than these twelve months, because it was arguably not intended to strengthen his body and thus improve his performance. ”

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