Wolfsburg hopeful as UEFA suspend CSKA duo

German champions Wolfsburg said they hope to be included in the draw for the last 16 of the Champions League after UEFA suspended two CSKA Moscow players for flouting anti-doping rules.

Wolfsburg were beaten 3-1 by Manchester United on Tuesday, a result which left them third in Group B behind the English giants and second-placed CSKA and out of the competition.

However the German club believe that they should be going through to the next round because two of CSKA’s players – Sergei Ignashevich and Alexei Berezutsky – had earlier tested positive for the stimulant pseudoephedrine.

“If there were a case of doping, it would not be fair that CSKA Moscow takes part in the knock-out phase,” Wolfsburg’s managing director Jurgen Marbach told German agency SID.

“We have contacted UEFA and we are waiting to see what will be decided.

“In other sports, doping offences are always sanctioned heavily and it must be the same in football.”

The controversy emerged Tuesday when CSKA announced that UEFA had suspended the two defenders for that night’s match against Besiktas.

The club blamed a “technical mistake” on the part of the team doctor who forgot to declare that the pair had been taking a common cold remedy, Sudafed, which contains pseudoephedrine.

Although not currently banned pseudoephedrine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ‘monitored’ products list. As of January 1, 2010, it will be back on WADA’s banned list.

Wolfsburg now hope their appeal will see them included when the last 16 draw is made on December 18.