When Mamadou Sakho faced a drug ban at Liverpool it was pretty much the beginning of the end for his career with the club. Never really coming back from it, Sakho also faced the resultant reputation damage which comes with such a scenario.
It also harmed his international chances, at a time when he was a personal favourite of France manager Didier Deschamps. Had things worked out differently there’s a good chance Sakho could have won the World Cup in the summer.
After playing Manchester United in the 2016 Europa League, Sakho ‘tested positive for an anti-asthmatic that also has a fat burner function’, report L’Equipe.
A 30 precautionary ban was imposed whilst further investigations were carried out, and the now Crystal Palace player subsequently missed Euro 2016 on home soil.
Sakho was eventually cleared by UEFA, with L’Equipe saying: ‘Because the molecule found in his urine (higenamine) is not listed by name in the list of prohibited products by the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), even if the class to which it belongs (beta-2 agonists) is prohibited in competition.’
The French newspaper reports the player’s entourage have confirmed an appeal against the AMA has been launched against the doping authorities responsible for the initial ban.
It’s not made clear whether this appeal is symbolic or for damages, either way it’s an effort to try and get some justice after the Crystal Palace missed out on some of the most important times of his career.
