Related case:
TJD-AD 2024-004 Appeal Decision - Football
February 21, 2024
In March 2023 the Brazilian Doping Control Authority (ABCD) reported two anti-doping rule violation:
- against the football player after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance 19-norandrosterone (Nandrolone).
- against his sports doctor for the administration of the prohibited substance.
Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete refused the proposed sanction, filed a statement in his defence and was heard for the Brazilian Sports Justice Anti-Doping Tribunal (TJD-AD).
The Athlete admitted the violation and denied the intentional use of the substance. He explained that he underwent medical treatment for his injury and requested for a reduced sanction.
As treatment prescribed Nandrolone was administered since September 2022. His doctor told him that out-of-competition use of the medication during the off-season would not be a problem.
The Athlete's doctor denied he acted intentionally and confirmed the prescribed treatment for the Athlete's injury. He argued that the medication was used in a low dosage during the off-season as alternative to avoid surgery.
ABCD and its medical expert rejected the doctor's explanation and determined that no medical documents were produced, nor was there an application for a TUE. No medical justification for the use of Nandrolone as treatment for the Athlete's injury was identified.
The Rapporteur concluded the Athlete and the doctor had acted intentionally and requested a full sanction. The Rapporteur agreed there had been delays in the proceedings not to be attributed to the Athlete.
Therefore the TJD-AD Panel decided on 16 October 2023:
- to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the sample collection, i.e. on 4 March 2023;
- to impose a 30 year sanction on the doctor and to report his conduct to the Federal Council of Medicine and the Brazilian Society of Sports Exercise Medicine.
