Mamadou Sakho tested positive after a Europa League tie with Manchester United on March 17 after taking a product to reduce body fat.PHOTO/AFP
PARIS, France, July 7 – Liverpool and France defender Mamadou Sakho goes before a UEFA disciplinary panel here on Thursday and will learn his fate for a doping infringement within a few days, the European game’s governing body told AFP.
Sakho tested positive after a Europa League tie with Manchester United (1-1) March 17 after taking a product to reduce body fat.
The 26-year-old centre-back is said not to have known the composition of the weight-loss supplement and informed UEFA he acted in good faith.
“Some products entail an automatic ban and others not. In this case the player himself wanted the provisional ban and UEFA agreed to impose a 30-day ban,” UEFA medical officer Marc Vouillamoz told AFP.
The player was eventually technically available for International duty at Euro 2016 and despite playing a key role for France these last two seasons Didier Deschamps left him out of the finals squad.
