English Premier League giant Manchester United has been fined $11,800 for breaching anti-doping regulations following a UEFA Europa League final victory over Dutch side Ajax in May.
It comes after England’s Phil Jones was found guilty of verbally abusing a UEFA anti-doping officer and fellow defender Daley Blind of The Netherlands was charged with an anti-doping rules violation.
Jones, who was an unused substitute for the final, was found guilty of “directing insulting and abusive language” and “a lack of cooperation and respect” towards the official.
He was fined $5,900 and given a two-match European ban.
Blind, who played the full match against Ajax, was fined the same amount as Jones after being charged for “violation and non-compliance.”
It is believed Jones was angry because an anti-doping official refused to allow him to pose for a post-game photograph in which United players held up a banner in tribute to the victims of the Manchester terror attack on May 22.
United’s 2-0 win over Ajax at the Friends Arena in Sweden’s capital Stockholm came two days after 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber at Manchester Arena.
Salman Abedi denoted an explosive device as people left a concert by American singer Ariana Grande.
Jones will be unable to play in the UEFA Super Cup against European and Spanish champions Real Madrid on Tuesday (August 8).
As well as missing the match at the Philip II Arena in Macedonia’s capital Skopje, he has also been ruled out of United’s first UEFA Champions League group-stage match in September.
There is no suggestion that either of the two players was guilty of doping.
UEFA said that the decisions are open to appeal.
By Daniel Etchells
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.