Fenerbahçe have released a statement confirming the club has filed an official complaint to UEFA regarding Shakhtar Donetsk playing Fred in the Champions League play-off first-leg game.
The first-leg played at the Şükrü Saracoğlu stadium ended in a goalless draw but Shakhtar manager Mircae Lucescu’s decision to play Fred was court with controversy.
The official document Fenerbahçe sent to UEFA is attached below:
The Brazil midfielder Fred failed a doping test during the Copa América in Chile earlier this summer according to ESPN.
The doping commission found diuretic hydrochlorothiazide, which is a prohibited substance that can be used as a masking agents for others in his urine sample.
Lucescu confirmed that UEFA warned Shakhtar not to play Fred but that it was just a verbal recommendation.
“Before the game, Uefa advised us not to include him but we had not received any official documents and this was just a verbal recommendation,” he was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
“There is no specific statement on this matter for now and we are still waiting for the results of the B sample.”
The Romanian manager defied the warning and went ahead with starting Fred. The Brazilian player and Shakhtar could face punishment if the player is found guilty of a doping violation.
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