Russian officials dismiss fears on UEFA European Championships
Russian officials have rejected suggestions the country could be stripped of hosting matches at the 2020 UEFA European Championships, following recommendations made by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Compliance Review Committee (CRC).
WADA’s CRC recommended a four-year sanction against the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), following “an extremely serious case of non-compliance with the requirement to provide an authentic copy of the Moscow data, with several aggravating features”.
WADA had demanded the Russian Sports Ministry and RUSADA explain “inconsistencies” it found in the data when it opened a compliance procedure against the body, first suspended in 2015 before being reinstated last year, in September.
Russia was ordered to address the differences between the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) database provided by a whistleblower in October 2017 and the version WADA extracted from the facility in January.
The WADA CRC determined the data was “neither complete nor fully authentic” after reports from experts, adding further significant deletions and/or alterations had been made in December 2018 and January 2019.
It was also determined that fabricated evidence had also been added into the LIMS database to support the argument now being advanced by Russian authorities that it was Grigory Rodchenkov and two co-conspirators who falsified entries in the Moscow LIMS database.
Among the recommendations made by the WADA CRC was for sporting events awarded to Russia to be stripped from the country during the four-year period, with new hosts sought.
Russia is set to host matches at the UEFA European Championships, where Saint Petersburg has three group matches and a quarter-final.
The sanction may not apply to the competition, with it considered a regional event.
Saint Petersburg vice governor Vladimir Kirillov has insisted it was “extremely unlikely” the matches would be moved away from the city.
“Today, we continue to actively prepare for the final tournament of the European Championship 2020 and fulfill all the obligations undertaken within the framework of this tournament,” he said, according to Russian news agency TASS.
Kirillov also believes the exclusion of Russia from the number of countries hosting the football tournament is unlikely.
“I would like to remind you that the upcoming tournament will be held for the first time on the territory of 12 states, and preparations for its holding began a few years ago.
“The governments of the organising countries have given clear guarantees, the legal framework, sports and transport infrastructure have been prepared.
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“Today, in a situation when all preparatory measures are actually in the final stage, tickets are being sold in full, and on November 30 the draw of the tournament will take place, one of the countries organising the European Championship for the year before it seems extremely unlikely.”