Samir Nasri insists he wasn’t aware of the doping rules that led to his 18 months ban.
Nasri was absent from all football related activities for more than one and a half year and went on to sign for West Ham United in the New years eve. The Premier League winner found himself in the midst of controversy after receiving an intravenous drip treatment at a Los Angeles clinic.
Nasri received a six months ban initially but after the intervention of UEFA’s ethics and disciplinary inspector it was extended to another one year.
The attacking midfielder started training with the Hammers from the end of the 2018 and only after assessing his fitness Manuel Pellegrini decided to offer him a short term contract in a bid to revive his career.
Nasri said, “I was on holiday with my family. I became ill, I had a virus. I did not leave my room, I was suffering from vomiting, big headaches. I was empty.
“I called a friend and told him to find me a doctor. He couldn’t. He said to me: ‘There is a clinic, it will re-boost you’. Especially as I was going back to Sevilla in two days’ time.
“I said okay. I didn’t know the rules. And that, by the way, should serve as a lesson to all young players, to properly read the anti-doping rules, to really pay attention, because everything can go in a completely different direction.
“To be honest, I did not think that anything would come of it. This woman came to give me a drip of vitamins. She asked for a photo, I said yes, for me I hadn’t done anything wrong.
“I was of the view that this was not a doping product, it was fine.
“Can I promise that I have never doped? Yes, I have handed over the files, there was no doping product in it.”
