CSKA Moscow escape Champions League ban

CSKA Moscow will not be ousted from the European Champions League despite two of their players testing positive for a banned substance.

According to UEFA, Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei Berezutsky failed doping tests on November 3.

Both Berezutsky and Ignashevich have taken an illegal substance under the category ‘S6 stimulants’ from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) prohibited list 2009.

However, the taken substance is on the list of “non-specified” stimulants and thus UEFA will not be invoking any disqualification punishments.

CSKA beat Besiktas 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the last 16 ahead of Wolfsburg, who lost 3-1 to Manchester United.

Article 12 of European football’s governing body disciplinary regulations states, “If more than one player from the same team is charged with a doping offence in relation to a prohibited substance or methods, the team in question may be disqualified from the competition in progress and/or future competitions.”

This fueled speculation that CSKA could be excluded from the Champions League, but a spokesman for Europe’s football governing body told the Press Association, “In this case it is a specified substance so disqualification of the team does not apply, it is more the sanction of the players themselves.”

CSKA has defended its players, claiming they were given medication while battling colds on international duty and the club’s medical staff had failed to include the medication on a list given to UEFA staff before the game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.