Bulgaria player banned for doping violation

FIFA have confirmed that a Bulgaria international player has been provisionally suspended for 30 days after failing a drugs test.

The governing body did not name the player in question, but did confirm that the individual’s ‘A’ sample had revealed the presence of substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in a test conducted following Bulgaria’s FIFA World Cup qualifier with Malta on September 10.

A statement on the FIFA website read: “The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has provisionally suspended a Bulgarian international footballer for an initial period of 30 days following an adverse analytical finding in relation to a doping control conducted after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil qualifier played in Valletta, Malta, on 10 September 2013.

“In this regard, the analysis of the ‘A’ sample has revealed the presence of prohibited substances included in WADA’s 2013 Prohibited List.

“The decision taken by the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee was duly communicated to the Bulgarian Football Union on 26 September.”

The Bulgaria player is the latest of a number of international footballers to test positive for banned substances in recent times, with players from Zimbabwe, Morroco, Jamaica and Tahiti all falling foul of FIFA anti-doping regulations in the last three months.

Bulgaria sit second in their UEFA qualification group with two games remaining, but are just one point ahead of Denmark in the race for play-off spot.