Photoby Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
The World Anti-Doping Agency has apologised and will pay damages
for the 2016 case that saw Sakho suspended.
On April 23rd, 2016, it was revealed that then Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho was under investigation for the
violation of anti-doping bylaws. A few days later, following the
return a positive test for a fat burner, he was barred from
football for thirty days.
A month later, it was adjudged that the fat burner was not in
fact on the banned substance list, and a month after that the case
was dismissed by UEFA and the player was cleared. However, it’s
probably fair to say his Liverpool career never fully
recovered.
Today, Sakho won a libel case against the World Anti-Doping
Agency for its role in his suspension in 2016, which saw the payer
miss Liverpool’s Europa League final that season and then run afoul
of manager Jürgen Klopp during the subsequent pre-season.
“I feel happy,” Sakho told
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Happy for my family, for all my friends, for the people who were
around me during those tough years. It’s not easy when you are a
professional athlete and are accused of doping.
“It is the worst thing that can happen to you. I always believed
in my lawyers, that’s my squad, my team. We always said the truth
would take time to come out and I am happy WADA has said sorry. Now
everything is behind me and I just want to look forward.”
As part of the settlement, WADA have been forced to pay damages
and to apologise for “defamatory allegations.” Following his
falling-out at Liverpool, Sakho joined Crystal Palace in January of 2017 and has since made
74 appearances for the London club.