Mutu's agent expects 3-4 month ban

By foxsports
Published

Adrian Mutu's agent Giovanni Becali has said he expects his client to be banned for three to four months following the preliminary hearing into his doping case.

The Romanian twice tested positive for traces of the stimulant Sibutramina after matches against Bari on Jan. 10 and Lazio on Jan. 20.

"My feeling is there will be a suspension, but I don't expect it to be more than three or four months," Becali told reporters on Wednesday.

"He explained what he consumed," Becali said. "He made a mistake in taking the substance without asking what it was and he admits his guilt by not asking his doctor if he could take this substance."

Mutu and his legal team will return to face the Italian Olympic Committee's antidoping commission on March 19.

"Of course there will be some months suspension," Becali said. "We aren't yet sure, we shall see in 15 days."

The 31-year-old Mutu, who currently plays for Fiorentina, is already facing the possibility of paying euro17 million (US$24 million) in compensation to his former club Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine use in 2004.

The Swiss Federal Court is nearing a ruling on Mutu's appeal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which said he must pay Chelsea compensation.

CAS ruled in July that FIFA was right to award Chelsea compensation because Mutu breached his contract in 2004.

Chelsea fired Mutu for failing a drug test, then received no part of their transfer fee back after he served a seven-month ban and rebuilt his career in Italy. Mutu joined Juventus as a free agent and then was sold after one season for euro8 million (US$11 million) to Serie A rival Fiorentina.

Mutu's legal team argued in favor of his good character and that he took the substance unaware that it was on the banned list. It also said his positive test at Chelsea had no relevance to the latest incident.

"This has nothing to do with what occurred at Chelsea," Becali said. "Therefore we do not feel the past is a factor. The two are not related.

"We hope the court understands he acted in good faith, because he has already lost four to five years of his career," he said. "If he has made a mistake he will pay, but hopefully not too dearly."