Anti-doping tests put Tunisia under investigation at the World Cup, says newspaper
Tunisia's elimination from the World Cup gained a chapter beyond the pitch. Eight national team players are being investigated after anti-doping tests identified the presence of clenbuterol, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Despite the detection, the case is not treated as doping. According to the British newspaper "The Times", the concentrations found in the samples are compatible with food contamination, a scenario foreseen by WADA and FIFA protocols for competitions held in Mexico.
The suspicion is that the athletes ate contaminated meat during the delegation's stay in Monterrey, where the team stayed before the 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands, a result that resulted in their elimination in the group stage.
The tests showed levels below 5 nanograms per milliliter of urine. Since 2022, results below this limit will no longer be automatically classified as positive and will be recorded as an "Atypical Analytical Result", which leads to the opening of an investigation before any disciplinary decision is made.
Clenbuterol is banned due to its potential to improve sports performance, but the substance also appears in cases of contamination of the food chain. The illegal use of the compound in livestock farming in Mexico has been a known problem for years and has already led to changes in the anti-doping protocols adopted in international competitions held in the country.
The best-known event occurred at the 2011 U-17 World Cup. At the time, more than a hundred athletes from different teams showed traces of clenbuterol in their exams. The investigation concluded that some of the meat served to the delegations was contaminated, and no players were punished.
According to "The Times", the Tunisian Football Federation, the eight athletes and their respective clubs have already been informed about the procedure. To date, there is no indication of suspension or opening of proceedings for violation of anti-doping rules.
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Source: CNN