CLAIMS by Football Leaks that Real Madrid's captain Sergio Ramos tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs ahead of last year's Champions' League final have been refuted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, reports in Football Leaks said the anti-inflammatory drug Dexametasone was found in a sample of Ramos' urine, which would potentially invalidate Real Madrid's 2017 win against Juventus and could cause the player to be banned for several years.
Dexametasone, as well as an anti-inflammatory, is also an immuno-suppressor, is used for rheumatoid arthritis and to alleviate some of the side effects of chemotherapy, and is also employed after some types of surgery, particularly dental, to reduce swelling.
But it is a corticosteroid which increases lucidity, sensitivity in hands and feet, and creates a sense of euphoria.
It is well-known in the world of mountaineering, since it helps combat altitude sickness and brain-swelling, but its use is not normally permitted by WADA.
Downhill skier Justyna Kowalczyk, from Poland, was disqualified from a competition in Germany and banned for two years after testing positive for Dexametasone.
It has even been used in some Asian countries, particularly Bangladesh, to make underage prostitutes appear older by causing them to put on weight.
According to WADA, Dexametasone is not an illegal substance in sports, but its use must be notified.
When UEFA carried out the routine test on Ramos and detected Dexametasone, it did not inform WADA as required, leading to the latter requesting a report and explanations from Real Madrid.
The club has confirmed this information.
After receiving the necessary paperwork, WADA confirmed that UEFA had acted correctly and duly filed the case, as did UEFA itself.
WADA has 'categorically and energetically' denied that UEFA attempted to hide information concerning Ramos' test results, and Real Madrid has denied any breach of anti-doping rules on its part or on its captain's.
Football Leaks has also hinted at another possible anti-doping test positive linked to Ramos prior to the April 2018 League match against Málaga, although further details have not been released as yet.
It is likely these results relate to the same substance, and all authorities concerned have been satisfied with explanations given by Ramos himself and by his doctors about his use of Dexametasone before last year's Champions' League final.
