The new football season is still in its infancy but controversy has already broken out following the news that 2011-12 Footballer of the Year Clayton Failla was found positive after a dope test that was con-ducted this summer.
The Hibernians wing-back, who is also a member of Pietro Ghedin’s national squad, had a sample taken by the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport anti-doping agency during the Euro Cup.
The pre-season tournament was played in late June and Failla, who benefits from the 20/20 government scheme for top national athletes, played in the opening two matches of the competition, scoring once in a 5-0 win over Birkirkara and playing all match against Valletta which Hibs won 1-0.
Failla, 26, then skipped the match against Floriana and the two Europa League qualifying round ties against Bosnia’s Sarajevo as he was away on honeymoon.
Last Friday, he was not included in Hibs’ squad for the Super Cup season opener against Valletta which the latter won 3-1.
During the MFA council meeting yesterday, club representatives were told by president Norman Darmanin Demajo that Failla has been suspended provisionally until the case is heard and decided upon by the KMS National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO).
He also confirmed that the test was taken at the end of the Euro Cup match between Hibs and Valletta on June 26.
Sources close to Hibernians FC are contending that the player may have unknowingly absorbed a banned substance from an over-the-counter anti-flu medication.
According to international rules, an offending athlete may be sanctioned for up to two years for serious doping charges.
NADO’s monitoring is not restricted to 20/20 athletes only.
In fact, the WADA-approved organisation conducts regular random doping tests throughout the year in other disciplines as part of its programme in the fight against drug use in sport.
Season finale
The previous campaign was an excellent one for Failla.
In fact, after helping Hibernians to lift the FA Trophy, he was named as the country’s top footballer, the second time in his career following the MFA best player award of 2008-09.
However, the 2011-12 Premier League had also ended on a bad note as two Mqabba players were banned for doping.
In May, the Malta FA handed a nine-month suspension to Marko Potezica and one year out to Julian Briffa after positive tests for banned substances in two separate occasions during Relegation Pool matches.