MILAN, 23 March 2005 — AC Milan players Gennaro Gattuso and Giuseppe Pancaro declined to take optional blood tests after Sunday’s Serie A game with AS Roma, leaving Italian Football Federation president Franco Carraro in a tricky position.
Although there are no formal sanctions for refusing to give the optional blood samples, Carraro had threatened that those who declined would not be picked for the Italian national side.
Midfielder Gattuso, who is in the Italy squad for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland, defended his decision by saying the system was badly organized.
“Either you do things seriously or you don’t do them at all,” Gattuso told yesterday’s Corriere della Sera.
“For months no-one has been seen (for blood tests) and then now they bring up this new thing.
“At any rate, I don’t see where the problem is given that nothing is obligatory. We should plan the controls well, making them equal for all and then I would be happy to adhere.”
Italy introduced random blood testing in January 2004 to supplement their existing compulsory urine tests.
Carraro must now decide whether to carry out the sanction he promised last year when he said: “Players who don’t accept blood testing will not be called up for international duty. They will also be subject to random tests throughout the season.” Speaking at Italy’s training camp near Florence, Italy coach Marcello Lippi backed Gattuso.
“I believe in him. Gattuso is one of the most serious professionals in Italian football. Rino has explained everything to me and I don’t see why I shouldn’t believe him,” said Lippi.
Gattuso, who as a member of the executive of the Italian Footballers’ Association had agreed to go along with the optional blood testing, told the Italian news agency ANSA that he would undergo a blood test later in the day.
“This evening I am going to do the blood analysis - everyone can come and have a look. I’ll even give 10 liters. I have nothing to hide, my doping is hot chili peppers,” said the Calabrian born midfielder.
“When I went into the anti-doping room at the Olympic stadium it was 11.30 at night and I was stressed out from the match.
“There were 10 people there and plenty of confusion and sealed syringes thrown to one side. We aren’t animals.
“They could come to my house and do a blood test but if there aren’t clear regulations then we can’t go on.”
Milan club doctor Massimiliano Sala said that in the case of players who refused the blood tests, more stringent tests were carried out on the urine sample. “If a player refuses to put himself forward for a blood analysis he doesn’t do it to escape from an anti-doping control because in reality on the basis of that refusal he undergoes a more accurate control,” Sala said. He added that under Italy’s privacy law the names of players who have refused to give a blood sample should not be made public.
Italy has a strict anti-doping system with two players from every Serie A and Serie B team tested after every game.
