Ajax was caught up in the news that UEFA has banned the first-choice goalkeeper for 12 months after failing a cup test
Ajax boss Edwin van der Sar has backed goalkeeper Andre Onana after a 12-month ban on football, saying he believes a doping breach was a real mistake.
Starting on February 5, the Cameroonian international keeper is unable to play or train after a banned substance was found in a urine test.
Van der Sar says that while he cannot be 100 percent sure, he trusts the 24-year-old’s explanation of what happened.
Why was Onana banned?
Onana was banned by UEFA after an out-of-competition drug test in October found the banned substance Furosemide in his urine sample.
He says he accidentally took a pill prescribed for his wife, because he was feeling unwell and believed it was aspirin.
Can Onana appeal against his ban?
Ajax has already confirmed that they will appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS).
A club statement said: “The governing body of the football association has stated that Onana had no intention of cheating. However, the European Football Association believes that, on the basis of the rules face whipping, that an athlete has a responsibility at all. times to ensure that prohibited substances do not enter the body. “
What has Van der Sar said?
Van der Sar explained how Onana came to take the stuff and says he thinks it was just “stupid bad luck”.
“I am 100% sure that the doping test was positive due to a misunderstanding,” Van der Sar said De Telegraaf.
During the international crackdown in November we received a message from UEFA that Andre had been found with a banned substance in his urine in an ‘out of competition’ investigation at De Toekomst (Ajax training center).
“We were very surprised and the same was true of him as we sought contact with him in Cameroon.
“A few days after the UEFA message, he came directly to De Toekomst from Schiphol [Airport] and we went to his bathroom with the doctor, where we took all the medication and anything similar for a checkup.
“Andre was not feeling well on the day of the examination and thought he had taken a headache, but it turned out that he had taken a pill from his wife’s prescription medication. her after being pregnant with their first child. It looked very similar in name and on the package. And the strips were scattered in his locker. It’s bad luck. “
What are the effects of Furosemide?
Furosemide does not have performance enhancing properties. It is a diuretic drug used to treat fluid buildup caused by heart failure, liver scarring, or kidney disease, and can also be used to treat high blood pressure.
Van der Sar thinks this adds credence to Onana’s claim that he unknowingly took it.
“It won’t make you stronger or faster. Andre, who has been scrutinized many times, is undoubtedly the most united with us and Cameroon and is highly regarded by the major clubs. You don’t get that from one pill. “
Van der Sar also addressed the claim that Furosemide can be used as a scavenging agent to prevent other substances from appearing in cupping tests.
“That could be, yes. But in every other study, Furosemide was not found and there were no other substances either.”
Further reading
Keeper Ajax Onana suspended last year after failing outside of competition (February 5)
Borussia Dortmund look to keeper Ajax Onana as a potential Burki substitute (Feb 4)