Mutu set for ban
Adrian Mutu is expected to be suspended for between six and eight months when he appears before a Football Association disciplinary hearing tomorrow.
The 25-year-old Romanian striker tested positive for a banned substance last month and has been sacked by Chelsea after he confessed to using drugs.
Under FIFA rules, the FA must impose a minimum six-month suspension but it is unlikely to be more than eight months for several reasons.
Firstly, Mutu has admitted the offence, has already booked in for rehab and will not appeal against the punishment.
Goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, who was also sacked by Chelsea after testing positive for cocaine, was suspended for nine months by the FA but unlike Mutu he contested the case and did not show remorse.
Secondly, Rio Ferdinand was banned for eight months for failing to take a test, and if the FA impose stiffer punishment for social drug use it could send out a message to users that they might be better off missing a test.
Finally, cocaine use is not banned by WADA out of competition and therefore the FA are able to resist Government pressure for the world anti-doping body’s two-year minimum ban for a first offence to be applied.
Mutu will appear at the hearing along with Professional Footballers’ Association executive member John Bramhall and the players’ union’s lawyer John Hewison.
It is understood the PFA will argue Mutu’s ban should be no longer than six months.
PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor told the Press Association: “I would expect under the rules of the FA that there will be a suspension so it will be a big test of character for Adrian Mutu, whether it is six months or more than that.
“The PFA are against drugs at all times but players do not take recreational drugs to cheat or gain an advantage -in fact they are detrimental to the individual.
“We feel there should be a different approach which does not emphasise the punitive sanction but to look at where they have had successful case histories of rehabilitating players.
“We call ourselves a football family but a family doesn’t throw someone out of the home if that person is in trouble. We get together and try and resolve the problem so it is disappointing Chelsea chose to take the action they did.”
Mutu, the captain of Romania, was signed from Parma for £15.8million in 2003 so Chelsea have effectively written that money off by terminating his contract.
Since his positive test became public knowledge he has already been receiving help from the Sporting Chance Clinic for his problem.
