CAS orders one-year bans on Maltese players

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled on the appeals lodged by FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the doping bans the Malta FA handed to three players, namely, Claude Mattocks, Ryan Grech and Gilbert Martin, last season.

The rulings have not been made public yet but The Times understands that CAS has essentially accepted most of the legal arguments put forward by the Malta FA during a hearing in Lausanne in November but deemed that the doping offences committed by the three Maltese players warranted a one-year ban.

FIFA, the world governing body of football, and WADA had asked CAS to impose two-year doping bans on Mattocks, Grech and Martin.

During November's hearing, MFA president Joe Mifsud and vice-president Peter Fenech, are believed to have mounted a strong defence of the decisions taken by the local association in relation to the three doping cases.

Mattocks, who joined Marsa-xlokk on a four-year contract last summer, had completed his four-month suspension in May last year after returning a positive dope test when playing for Valletta, his former club, in 2007/08.

CAS's decision now means that Mattocks, a former Malta international, will be suspended for another eight months.

Martin, who last played for Mosta, was suspended for one year after testing positive for recreational drugs.

With CAS now confirming the original punishment issued by the MFA, Martin can resume his career next month as his ban started in February last year.

Grech, who plays for Premier League club Tarxien Rainbows, was originally slapped with a one-year ban but this was reduced to nine months on appeal.

CAS's decision to revert to the original sanction meted out by the Malta FA's Disciplinary and Control Board means that Grech will now be banned for the next three months, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the season.

CAS sent a copy of their decisions to the Malta FA and the other concerned parties on Monday evening.

In its ruling, CAS turned down the cases presented by FIFA and WADA in asking for a two-year suspension for the three Maltese players.

It is believed that the Malta FA representatives had argued that the bans were determined according to a doping charter of the local association and as such, FIFA and WADA had no jurisdiction over these cases.