Mutu suspended for 7 months

[Dingbat]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/3973219.stm

Sacked Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has been handed a seven-month ban for a positive cocaine test...

...He was also fined £20,000 and will be subject to target testing throughout the period of the suspension.

Seven instead of eight then. Looks like Mutu, provided he gets rehab and the like, could be back next season.

Perhaps he could even be playing for Arsenal? It's not as stupid as it sounds. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3968851.stm) Whatever the case, Mutu will have somewhere to go after this debacle is over.

This may end up benefitting him in the long run; though of course his reputation is fairly tarnished right now.

What do we think? Less time than Rio for actually attending the test, even though he was found guilty...that may be an interesting point for some of you.

Thoughts?

[Explosivo]

I dont understand,

How can someone who tested positive for drugs (mutu) get a shorter ban than someone who just missed one?

Ok rio feridan may have just forgotten about it he may of done it on purpose, but either way it still doesnt make sense

[Tommuz]

Well players might think that it's better to just skip the test if they know they're gonna be found positive. That way they'll get a shorter punishment. I think given the situation at teh moment, the length of the ban is fair.

[Chavvy]

This is just ridiculous. Plain and simple.

There is no justification in the length of ban Mutu is serving. As a representative of football and a role model to children he should've been banned for years not a paltry 7 months (and a £20,000 fine - that's pocket change to these millionaires). This is now a sign for other players, who may be on illegal substances, to think they can 'get away with it' even if tested positive.

Is there no common sense in the world??


(at least he didn't get 100 lines as his punishment *cue canned laughter*)


I have it on very good authority that old Rio dodged the test because he is a bit of a coke head too...

[Dingbat]

Something I just realised.

Why has Mutu not been arrested?

[Chavvy]

Something I just realised.

Why has Mutu not been arrested?
I think it's a bit of grey area DB@. He wasn't caught in possesion, just had it in his system. I agree that he should be under investigation by the police as well as the subsequent FA hearing.

FA is a pretty apt acronym after all... :rolleyes:

[Thomp]

I know all of this is stupid i.e. the seven month ban and the £20,000 (?) but I personally think that Chelski should have provided more support to him, but anyway...

£20,000?! Wtf?

[streety]

I think that the 7 month ban is adequate. Davids and Stam both got lesser bans after testing positive.

He will have to learn from his mistakes and find a new club. I know he is now a free agent but I wouldn't was us to sign him. He is a bit of a loose cannon (a la Diouf), so maybe Wenger could keep him under control at Arsenal. I don't think he would bring anything to their team.

[Chavvy]

I think that the 7 month ban is adequate. Davids and Stam both got lesser bans after testing positive.

Streety, I understand where you are coming from i.e. the FA cannot single out any one individual for special treatment, but do we really want this in the game?? With all the crap that surrounds the "beautiful game" things like this need to be stamped out and stamped out fast.

I understand that he is under pressures and such like to perform on the pitch etc. but I wouldn't mind being paid £30,000+ a week to have to deal with that!

Oh yeah, and you're damn right about him not going to the Reds!! (although if GH were still in charge he'd been in the team in time for the weekend game!!:D)

Just my $0.02

[jonffm]

Awful.

Players like these should be banned indefiantly. In fact, they should be banned period. Football players are ment to be examples to the thousands of kids that look up to them, and what kind of message is this sending out to them?

I really do think that any athlete that tests positive for drugs like cocaine should be thrown out of the sport there and then. They're paid so much money, given a lifestyle that most the population can only dream of, and all for being an expert at playing football...and then they go and piss over everyone that pays him and everyone that supports him.

It'll be a blow for the game if Mutu is ever allowed to play in at least England ever again.

Unfortunatly, the F.A are all pussys so it'll never happen.

[Tommuz]

If that was the case though, he could have just skipped the test and got 8 months like Ferdinand instead. By doing it this way it means that you suffer just as bad either way. Personally, I think Ferdinand should have got 2 years originally and also the same length for Mutu but like you said, the FA aren't exactly strong willed at the moment.

[Explosivo]

well really, they can be in a lose lose situation a lot of the time. take rio ferdinand, the major star in the world cup ( i think it was that) he kept us going, he could make people go and see the game, therefore generating more money/publicity (not like football doesnt have enough) so if they had banned him for 2 years or what ever they would have missed out on the publicity and the money that he can, and does bring.

Also, if a player gets banned for a long time, non football fans will think that all footballers are scum, based on the one news report they happen to hear, where as in certain cases they will think the FA are weak for giving the player such a sort ban

It cant be easy to be in the FA.

And getting back to your police investigation, if he is cuaght with illeagle substances in his body, he will at some point have to have been in possesstion of them, making him in breach of the Law. The police by law should question him and get an idea of the truth, thats by law, seeing as he is such a widly known person in the capital, if the police do question him (which is unlikely) they will do it "behind closed doors"

[AngryPaul]

Bollocks.

Makes it seem that mssing a test is worse that actually using the bloody things they are being tested for!

Sends out a poor message that they make an example out of Rio and then backtrack like that.

I also agree with the bullshit fines. If we were fined that kinda muneh it would make us think twice about doing it again. For them its more like "Ah well, I'll get that new swimmingpool on next weeks wages instead."

The FA are inconsistent and incompetent.

They suck.

[Dingbat]

I'd have to disagree with the first point, it seems to be a bitter Man Utd fan talking there ;)

It sends the message that if you do the drug, eventually you will be caught by the testing process - and missing the test makes things even worse.

Though I disagree with the fine. It seems to have been held back, which I feel may be due to his sacking.