PREMIERSHIP star Abel Xavier was last night facing a life ban after failing a drugs test.
The Middlesbrough and Portugal ace, 32, has already been suspended by world governing body Fifa.
He tested positive following a Uefa Cup game in Greece last month.
But the defender, whose previous clubs include Liverpool and Everton, will deny knowingly taking performance-boosting drugs.
He will claim he merely used an antiviral supplement bought from the US.
It is not yet known what banned substance was found in the routine test after the match on September 29.
Middlesbrough plan to stand by the £25,000-a-week star pending a follow-up test later this week.Uefa chiefs meet next Monday to discuss his fate.
He has played six times for his club this season but was left out last weekend.
In Daily Mirror 18Oct2005
posted by Harish Bhatt at 13:41
2 Comments:
Its curious to see players that are always the "bad players" for the suporters in their own countries to be rated as stars or aces in one of the best championships in the world.
Unfortunatly Abel Xavier is news today for the wrong reasons.Hopefully he we'll be declared not guilty in this situation.otherwise its the wrong way to say goodbye from the pitches.
All the best Abel Xavier!
Abel Xavier isn't a saint. It's no secret, but it was never published before. What was the drug? We still don't know, but it's not very hard to guess... It´s a bad way to end his career!
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