World Cup Drug Tests & Red Cards: Getting Higher.

May 26th, 2010 | by: chris | View Comments

Would you believe FIFA announced the new drug-testing regulations on the same day Diego Maradona proclaimed he would run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if Argentina wins the World Cup?

Huh.

Before the World Cup actually kicks off roughly 35% of players (eight per team) will be selected at random for drug and urine testing, which an awfully big number – equating to 256 tests. Another 256 tests will take place during the tournament, so the whole thing’s on the up and up. Or not on the up and up, as it were.

More than the World Cup test themselves, which you’d have to think may produce a positive somewhere in the field given history, is the numbers of drug testing on the whole for football: it’s by and large a very, very clean sport.

FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe:

Even though soccer occasionally gets mentioned in drug scandals in Italy or Spain, D’Hooghe is convinced there is no doping culture among the world’s 260 million soccer players. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that of the 35,000 doping controls annually, only 0.3 percent test positive. The overwhelming majority are for social drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.

“We had only nine anabolic steroids cases” last year, he said

All of which is very good until the world’s best player fails a drug test midway through the tournament and the whole thing falls apart and…yadda. (Don’t drink the water, Leo!)

In other news there will be a crackdown on harsh tackles which will see red cards flying around willy nilly.

FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe:

D’Hooghe says “we will specifically tell our referees and let everyone know” to use the red card as soon as a career-threatening foul is committed at the World Cup.

You’ll notice that’s D’Hooge once again, not the head of referees. So a man who may or may not have the authority to do so will whisper orders into a referee’s ear. Sounds like Italy.