Post by Taxigirl on May 13, 2004 14:16:13 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/wales/3703577.stm
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Wales' appeal to win a late entry to Euro 2004.
Wales wanted Russia thrown out of the European Championship after their player Egor Titov failed a drugs test after the first-leg play-off last year.
The court in Lausanne dismissed Uefa's contention that they had no jurisdiction on the case, but rejected the appeal on its merits.
Wales failed to prove that Russia were implicated in Titov's drug taking.
Uefa had already rejected two appeals from the Football Association of Wales to have Russia excluded.
Titov was an unused substitute in the goalless first leg of the play-off.
He then played for just under an hour in the second leg at the Millennium Stadium, when his side secured a 1-0 win to book their passage to next month's finals in Portugal.
"We had overcome the major hurdle of jurisdiction, but could not prove that Russia were implicated in Titov taking the drug," said FAW Secretary General David Collins.
"The drug had a huge effect with regard to performance and relieving the tiredness that all players involved in the play-offs felt.
"It's disappointing to see that drugs cheating has prevailed."
Despite losing out, Collins said that he hoped the fact that the CAS's jurisdiction had been established would have an effect on future cases.
"National associations will now have to look at their regulations with regard to doping," he said.
"Hopefully Uefa and Fifa will take this case into consideration."
Alexander Tukmanov, executive director of the Russian Football Union, said the verdict was a foregone conclusion.
"I think they (Wales) just wasted their time and money with all their appeals," said Tukmanov.
"Uefa's message was clear: you earned your right to play at the finals on the field of play, not in the courtroom.
"But apparently Wales thought differently, they just wouldn't stop.
"By appealing over and over again they just kept deceiving their own public and giving us an extra headache."
Spartak Moscow captain Titov, who was banned for a year by European soccer's governing body in January, has always maintained his innocence, saying he was given the banned substance bromantan as medication by mistake.
Spartak's former chief doctor Artyom Katulin said last month that one of his aides had prescribed Titov a food supplement containing bromantan without the player's knowledge.
Katulin was fired by the club shortly after Titov was banned.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed Wales' appeal to win a late entry to Euro 2004.
Wales wanted Russia thrown out of the European Championship after their player Egor Titov failed a drugs test after the first-leg play-off last year.
The court in Lausanne dismissed Uefa's contention that they had no jurisdiction on the case, but rejected the appeal on its merits.
Wales failed to prove that Russia were implicated in Titov's drug taking.
Uefa had already rejected two appeals from the Football Association of Wales to have Russia excluded.
Titov was an unused substitute in the goalless first leg of the play-off.
He then played for just under an hour in the second leg at the Millennium Stadium, when his side secured a 1-0 win to book their passage to next month's finals in Portugal.
"We had overcome the major hurdle of jurisdiction, but could not prove that Russia were implicated in Titov taking the drug," said FAW Secretary General David Collins.
"The drug had a huge effect with regard to performance and relieving the tiredness that all players involved in the play-offs felt.
"It's disappointing to see that drugs cheating has prevailed."
Despite losing out, Collins said that he hoped the fact that the CAS's jurisdiction had been established would have an effect on future cases.
"National associations will now have to look at their regulations with regard to doping," he said.
"Hopefully Uefa and Fifa will take this case into consideration."
Alexander Tukmanov, executive director of the Russian Football Union, said the verdict was a foregone conclusion.
"I think they (Wales) just wasted their time and money with all their appeals," said Tukmanov.
"Uefa's message was clear: you earned your right to play at the finals on the field of play, not in the courtroom.
"But apparently Wales thought differently, they just wouldn't stop.
"By appealing over and over again they just kept deceiving their own public and giving us an extra headache."
Spartak Moscow captain Titov, who was banned for a year by European soccer's governing body in January, has always maintained his innocence, saying he was given the banned substance bromantan as medication by mistake.
Spartak's former chief doctor Artyom Katulin said last month that one of his aides had prescribed Titov a food supplement containing bromantan without the player's knowledge.
Katulin was fired by the club shortly after Titov was banned.