FCBARCELONA.CAT

23.10.2007 12:35

Guardiola cleared of doping charge

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Pep Guardiola, manager of Barça B, has been cleared this Tuesday by the Appeals Court in Brescia where he was accused of using nandrolone when playing for the local Italian club.

The former Barça player and now reserve team coach has been cleared of the charge made against him for the use of performance enhancing drugs when playing at Brescia. Pep Guardiola could have been handed a conditional seven month prison sentence in May 2005, but appealed against the decision and today was finally cleared of all charges and suspicion.

A testing time

On November 11, 2001, Pep Guardiola suffered one of the most trying periods of his career when the nandrolone accusations were made public. The positive was detected after the games between Piacenza and Brescia and between Lazio and Brescia.

The former Barcelona player immediately started his long fight against the courts to prove his innocence. This Tuesday the Appeals Court of Brescia has cleared Guardiola’s name due to a lack of grounds for accusation.