AFE ‘absolutely reject’ doping claim

The Spanish Footballers’ Association [AFE] have condemned Inaki Badiola for ‘calling into question the integrity of Real Sociedad players’.

Former Real President Badiola claimed earlier this week to having evidence that club doctors at Anoeta purchased restricted substances linked to doping, between 2002 and 2008.

The club, former President and current LFP chief Jose Luis Astiazaran and a number of players at the club at the time, including Valeri Karpin, Sander Westerveld and the still present Xabi Prieto, have all denied Badiola’s assertion.

The AFE have now also come out to challenge Badiola’s version of events, which hinted at a link between La Real and Eufemiano Fuentes, who is currently on trial in Spain for alleged doping offences during 2006.

“We express absolute rejection of Badiola’s statements that call into questin the integrity of the players who were part of the staff at Real Sociedad during the last decade,” the AFE released in a statement this week.

“If Mr Badiola had certain knowledge of such information in 2008, we do not understand why he did not proceed to report this to the relevant judicial bodies, rejecting any parallel procedure lacking the necessary legal guarantees.

“The statements lack the slightest credibility. The AFE wants to show its support for professional footballers and all members of staff at Real Sociedad, making itself available to them all, with all legal means at our disposal, accompanying them to the end of any process that could begin.”

Tags AFE Astiazaran Badiola Doping LFP
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