Thursday 20 April 2017 18:28, UK
UEFA have criticised the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over the incorrect failed drugs test provided by Mamadou Sakho who was wrongly suspended towards the end of last season.
The Liverpool player was given a 30-day ban following his test result on March 17, and which led to UEFA mistakenly believing that the substance Higenamine was on the prohibited list.
The defender subsequently missed out on the Europa League final against Sevilla, and lost the chance to represent hosts France at the European Championship finals in June and July.
And now Europe's governing body have been critical of the communication breakdown within WADA which led to Sakho being banned by error.
Sakho, who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace, confirmed to Liverpool he had taken a fat burner.
But it has since emerged WADA failed to communicate their view of the substance to their own laboratories in Cologne and Lausanne.
A UEFA report reads: "It is clearly not possible for anyone, laboratory disciplinary body, football player or otherwise to know whether or not Higenamine is a prohibited substance by reading WADA's prohibited list.
"The fact that the Cologne laboratory tested for Higenamine but had to check with WADA before making a determination indicates a problem, as does the fact that the Lausanne laboratory does not test for it.
"The onus is clearly on WADA to communicate to its laboratories what is and what is not on the prohibited list."
