http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/3223960.stm

French demand Portugal probe

French authorities are investigating why Portugal's Under-21 side refused to take dope tests after their play-off defeat to France.
The country' sports ministry has asked the French football federation and Uefa to investigate Portugal's actions.

Sporting authorities in Clermont-Ferrand - the match was played in Saint Etienne - are also involved and "would inform the prosecutors' office about the facts of the case, which could constitute an offence ... under the local public health code".

Taking performance-enhancing drugs is a criminal offence in France and foreign sportsmen and women can be subject to bans from competing in France if found guilty of breaking the law.

Tuesday's game fell under Uefa jurisdiction and a French federation spokesman has said the Portuguese were within their rights to refuse to take part in national doping controls after their penalty shoot-out victory.

Manchester United's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool target Djibril Cisse took part in Tuesday's match.

Uefa also said it would investigate incidents at the under-21 playoff after the Portuguese dressing room at Clermont-Ferrand was trashed.

The Portuguese football association said it had apologised to the French FA and the European football's governing body about the damage.

Portugal won in a penalty shoot-out after their 2-1 victory over 10-man France in the second leg of their European under-21 Championship playoff left the two sides tied 3-3 on aggregate.

There was no need for us to take the test since it was not required by UEFA. The manner should already be considered closed, since no action can be taken that would get us disqualified since everything we did in France was within the written rules. And about the accusations from the French with the locker rooms, I am betting it is probably not as bad as they are saying in the media. And either way, we've already apologized for the damage and offered to pay for the repair. If France want to bitch and whine, that's their problem.

PS: To clear your mis-understanding, it was not the players who refused to take the test but the physios of the team.

portugal demands apology

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/031120/323/eejiw.html

its a good thing they wont be drawn against each other in euro 04...

Originally posted by Fernandez
its a good thing they wont be drawn against each other in euro 04...

there's always a semi final for that... :crazyboy:

it were the french authorities who demanded the portuguese team to take the dope tests, and players have said they would do that with no problems, but since there wasn't no uefa doctors, they didn't took it, as well as the french players.

sore losers....:rolleyes:

It's not something we couldn't see coming from the French coach, he actually thought it was wrong to give a red to Cisse when he kicked Mario Sergio!:crazyboy:

Until now, I haven't really had anything wrong with the French, but this kind of attitude over 2 things we've already taken care of, or where perfectly right to do, is ridiculous. And I'll repeat Jose Romao's(U-21 Coach) words from yesterday, "he needs to get his head examined," which is perfectly true.

Obviously, I don't think the demand for an apology is necessary, but I actually want to see if France can admit that they have no right to instigate the drugs situation. But hopefully this will help the French decide to negotiate with UEFA so that they can hold drug tests. And also, this is the second time in a month a Portuguese team has been accused of drug-taking due to a syringe being found. The other incident was with SCP, where the case was settled after SCP's doctors said they were used for nutrients and conducted tests.

Originally posted by Parasol
there's always a semi final for that... :crazyboy:

it were the french authorities who demanded the portuguese team to take the dope tests, and players have said they would do that with no problems, but since there wasn't no uefa doctors, they didn't took it, as well as the french players.



This was indeed what happened... sad isnt it?

I don't blame them for refusing to take the drug test if they weren't done by official UEFA doctors! Who would have done the tests then, french doctors??!?? :rolleyes: riiight...


These are serious allegations and if they indeed turn out to be un-true then I think France deserves some kind of punishment. This would set very bad precedent if a team was allowed to make these kinds of accusations after losing. This also clearly demonstrates France's arrogance...do they actually beleive that only a "drug-enhanced" team could beat them??

*is looking forward for a Portugal - France match in the next european championship :crazyboy: :f***: *

the funny thing of it all it that the local french authorities only wanted the portuguese players to take the test, and absolutely no mention to any kind of drug test by the frenchies... :hump:

We're ridiculous, it was not required by UEFA :rolleyes:

What the french would say is that some of his players (Mexes and Cisse) refused to shake the hands with the portuguese players and insulted some of them during the entire game. Cisse in the tunnel tried to punch Mario Sergio and didn't do that because some team mates hold him... UEFA didn't demand any doping test. In the end of the game UEFA have informed the portuguese coach that the doping test wouln't be made because there wasn't any UEFA doctor on the field. Very serious is the pathetic rumours that Domenech (French coach) told to the press telling that the portuguese were all doped...
The french were all very confident and even before the Penalties they celebrated like they was winning the game... the defeat tasted very bad for them...

PS: i admit that the locker room situation is embarrasing to us. it was a shame.

the funniest thing was that the french said we played like crap in the first game, and played like drugged up players in the second one. Maybe if they did research all the players on portugal had played 10 games in the last 3 weeks, amd they got 1 week off because of euro2004 playoff to recover some energy.

Two Words

:f***: SORE LOSERS:f***:

Now the president of the French federation (FFF) want to forget his own alegations of doping because he's afraid of a hostil environment surronding the French NT at the Euro2004...
Don't worry Monsieur Simonet, the portuguese don't treat bad his visitors like you do...

Originally posted by Punkt

Don't worry Monsieur Simonet, the portuguese don't treat bad his visitors like you do...

haha so true!

I read all the arguments and they all have some sense to them, but , whats the big deal in taking a drug test?
If it avoids confusion and it's not a damnable violation of your human rights, then what's the big deal?


Is that the same shinji from the Rage3D forum?
Haven't seen you there in a while, you must be an NVIDIA guy now.

Originally posted by antithesis
I read all the arguments and they all have some sense to them, but , whats the big deal in taking a drug test?
If it avoids confusion and it's not a damnable violation of your human rights, then what's the big deal?


Is that the same shinji from the Rage3D forum?
Haven't seen you there in a while, you must be an NVIDIA guy now.
Maybe the fact that the guys making the team do the tests were not of UEFA.

If I want to France to play and all of a sudden someone who has ABSOLUTELY no right to make me piss in a cup wnats me to I'm not going to.

1. Not required by UEFA. Don't have to do them just because the French are too arrogant to beleive they lost fair and square.

2. the tests weren't to be done by official UEFA doctors, and seeing as how the French behave after losing then I wouldn't trust them to not tamper with the results.

3. It's insulting to be demanded to take drug tests, while the French players didn't take any tests themselves.

4. F U C K LES BLEUS! Arrogant pricks who even refused to shake hands after losing.

and no, I've never even heard of Rage3D forums :confused: different guy...

the French, under most circumstances, have a reputation for sportsmanship, that's why to me it seems odd that they suddenly became so anti-Portugal (the team...not the country).

Not saying that the players were doped, because I can't believe any management can convince players to take drugs and put their future in jeopardy, but it does seem weird that France would get so bitchy all of a sudden.

it's not weird, they're just cvnts....