Sports Costa Rica, Diego Maradona slams FIFA doping tests

[Titilope Adeuja]

FIFA issued a directive that seven instead two Costa Rican players be tested for performance enhancing drugs after their historic 1-0 win over Italy much to the infuriation of the CONCACAF team.

Five extra players were tested instead of the two produced by each team after each match at the FIFA World Cup according to Italian media reports.

The tested players include captain Bryan Ruiz, goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Celso Borges and Christian Bolanos, substitute Marco Urena and unused bench players Diego Calvo and Michael Barrantes.

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport and England's Guardian reports that five of the tested players failed to complete the mandatory pre-tournament drugs test which angered the team's coach.

Jorge Luis Pinto said, "The question in all of this is: 'Why does Costa Rica receive these tests?.

"It's because Costa Rica is running and running and running, and I congratulate my players for that.

"They can do doping tests to all of us, including me. We would love it. I hope they do it to all of us."

Argentina's great, Diego Maradona, who was tested and found failing the drug test in USA 1994 also criticised the seven players for the anti-doping tests of the dark horses as Costa Rica were tagged in the group.

"Why test seven players from Costa Rica and not seven from Italy?.

"This is only happening because some people are annoyed Costa Rica, and not the big teams, are going through (to the next round), and so the sponsors won't pay what they'd promised.

"It's against the rules. Two players from each team are supposed to undergo doping controls. I know what I'm talking about, because it happened to me.

"But seven players? I've never seen something like that."