Napoli winger Daniele Mannini has been banned for a year for being late for a drugs test when playing for Serie B side Brescia, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said yesterday.

Brescia's Davide Possanzini has also been suspended until Jan. 14, 2010 for the same offence after the pair were late for a doping control at a match against Chievo in Dec. 2007.

They were both banned for 15 days in March by an Italian Olympic Committee judge but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision to CAS and asked for tougher sentences.

A CAS spokeswoman confirmed the bans.

Mannini's lawyer was stunned by the decision.

"It is a shocking and unbelievable sentence," Mattia Grassani told the ANSA news agency.

"Mannini and Possanzini have been treated like full-blown doping athletes. They never took doping substances. CAS knows this."

Mannini, 25, signed for Serie A side Napoli in January last year and contributed to their impressive form.

However, seventh-placed Napoli have stuttered in recent weeks as they bid for a Champions League qualifying spot and losing Mannini is a further blow.

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