Real Madrid back Sergio Ramos after Football Leaks doping report

Ramos provided, Der Spiegel reported, a doping sample that contained a substance on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list after his side’s 2017 Champions League final win against Juventus.

Ramos’ urine sample contained, according to information passed to Der Spiegel by the Football Leaks organisation, dexamethasone. Dexamethasone is a type of corticosteroid medication that can be used to treat pain, but can also be used as an anti-inflammatory. The corticosteroid also, the report adds, “increases cognition and concentration and can have a euphoric effect.”

However, in the wake of the revelation, Madrid released a statement denying that Ramos had breached anti-doping control regulations.

In relation to the information published by Der Spiegel referring to our captain Sergio Ramos, the club states the following:

1. Sergio Ramos has never breached the anti-doping control regulations.

2. UEFA requested timely information and closed the matter immediately, as is usual in these cases, after verification by the experts themselves of the World Anti-Doping Agency, AMA, and of UEFA itself.

3. Regarding the rest of the content of the aforementioned publication, the club does not pronounce itself before the evidence of its insubstantial nature.

The sample was taken in the immediate aftermath of Madrid’s 4-1 win on June 3 2017, and was found to contain traces of dexamethasone the following day at a doping laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria.

Ramos was contacted by a UEFA official on June 6 for an explanation.

The 32-year-old replied on July 10, informing the UEFA official that he had been treated by a Real Madrid team doctor the day before the final.

The doctor in question, referred to as Dr. A. in the Der Spiegel report, added further details to Ramos’ explanation.

Ramos had, the doctor confirmed, been treated with the corticosteroid dexamethasone prior to the Champions League final in line with WADA regulations. The use of dexamethasone is allowed ahead of matches but the administration of the corticosteroid has to be disclosed during doping control. A failure to disclose the administration of dexamethasone should, the report adds, "lead to the initiation of a doping investigation".

Dr. A. had reported the use of another substance under the similar restrictions of dexamethasone. Ramos, the report attached to the sample stated, had received an injection of Celestone Chronodose prior to the final. Celestone Chronodose is a glucocorticoid, also on the banned substance list.

Dexamethasone had been administered to treat “chronic pathologies” in Ramos’ knee and shoulder Dr. A. informed UEFA. Dr. A. had, in the euphoria surrounding the club winning the Champions League, led him to note down the wrong drug during doping control. The doctor added that a human error led him to confuse two drugs that are under the same WADA regulations.

UEFA, the Der Speigel report adds, concluded that it was “very likely” that the club and player had committed an “administrative mistake” and asked the club in the future “to be utmost cautious when completing the doping control form and more precisely the declaration of medication."

In response to comment from Der Spiegel, UEFA stated the decision was in compliance with the WADA code.

"Uefa strongly and categorically refutes unfounded allegations it has covered up positive doping results," UEFA said in a statement reported the bbc.

"All Uefa doping control cases are conducted in full compliance with the Wada Code."

Der Spiegel also report on a second potential violation. This incident happened following Madrid’s 2-1 win against Malaga in April.

Ramos had been selected for doping control after the fixture on April 15. In a report sent to Real Madrid on September 21, it was alleged, by the head of the Doping Control Unit of the Spanish anti-doping agency, that Ramos asked the control officer whether he could shower first and then submit to doping control.

Der Spiegel reports that Ramos was informed that he had to head to doping control first as if he did not he would be in violation of Spanish anti-doping agency rules. However, the player elected to shower first.

The sanction for such a breach could include a €300,000 fine, a relegation for the club or a four-year ban for the player.

However, the Spanish anti-doping agency told the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) - which includes amongst others Der Spiegel, El Mundo and Mediapart - that “in the present case, the result of the investigation proceedings did not establish any fact that would allow concluding that there was an act constituting an Anti-Doping violation."