Positive drug tests remain rare in football and cases take a long time to be processed, with a four-year ban the maximum punishment. They operate under the World Anti-Doping Authority code which brought in the four-year ban in 2017 to try to crack down on drug cheats across all sports. Mirror Sport contacted the FA, who declined to comment but they are only informed and announce positive tests once the process is complete. Saido Berahino was given an eight-week drugs ban in 2017 for testing positive for recreational drugs. Crystal Palace’s former Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho sued WADA after a ban for a fat-burning substance was overturned.

Source: Daily Mirror January 21, 2020 17:48 UTC