Indignant Davids Pleads Innocence
Tuesday 24th April 2001
Edgar Davids has denied using drugs despite failing a doping test after a Serie A match last month.
Onefootball.com revealed at the weekend that Davids had had tested "non-negative" after a preliminary test. A non-negative first result means a player must go through a second test. A spokesman for the Italian Olympic Committee said no date had yet been set for that.
But Davids, who faces a two-year ban if he is found guilty, said: "I have never used any sort of drugs in my whole life. I strongly condemn the use of them. I do not understand those who try to improve their performance using these substances.
"After the match against Udinese on March 4, I reported for a routine doping test as happens to all Serie A players regularly," he read from a statement at a news conference, in which he refused to answer any questions.
"In the past I have taken such a test many times. Obviously I expected that everything would be OK and the results would be negative," he added.
"Therefore I was totally perplexed and surprised to read and hear the news of the last few days. It is said that there are traces of the banned substance nandrolone, but that has not been confirmed."
