SANCHEZ IN DRUG STORM
United’s new star ‘missed a doping test’ on Monday
ALEXIS SANCHEZ is at the centre of an alleged doping storm after it was claimed he missed a drugs test at Arsenal’s training ground on Monday.
It is unclear who was at fault and whether it is Sanchez, Manchester United’s new £600,000-aweek superstar striker, or Arsenal who could be facing a possible sanction. Indeed, there is even confusion about whether doping control officers attended Arsenal’s London Colney base.
Initial reports in Spain said testers from UEFA had arrived and requested a sample from Sanchez only to discover he was not there, but UEFA last night denied any involvement. More likely is the possibility that Sanchez has fallen foul of ‘whereabouts’ rules, having travelled north to complete his move to United when his whereabouts details still showed him in London.
The FA and Arsenal declined to comment last night and it is hard to say who could be at fault. Clubs must provide whereabouts details for training sessions — which players will be training with which squad — but in the Premier League it is the responsibility of the individual player to update his own whereabouts details. An individual can face up to a two-year ban if he has three whereabouts failures in 12 months but it is not known if it is a first, second or third strike for either Sanchez or Arsenal.
Sanctions are not as heavy for a club. Last year Manchester City were fined £35,000 and warned about future conduct for breaching anti-doping rules when they failed on three occasions within a year to ensure their whereabouts information was accurate.
Sanchez is due to make his debut for United in the FA Cup at Yeovil tonight. Last night United had not received notification of a problem from either the FA or UK Anti-Doping.
JOSE MOURINHO used a comparison with oranges to accuse Manchester City of sour grapes over Alexis Sanchez yesterday — then insisted the Chile star’s move to Old Trafford was not driven by money.
Sanchez could make his Manchester United debut in the FA Cup fourth round at Yeovil tonight after signing from Arsenal in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
United are paying Sanchez a staggering £600,000 a week, including bonuses and image rights, after City claimed to have withdrawn from negotiations due to the player’s financial demands.
Mourinho yesterday signed a contract extension — committing his future to United until at least 2020 — increasing his £13.8m-peryear terms to about £15m a year. He questioned City’s reasoning, saying: ‘I know that if other clubs did not get him, it’s not a problem of money, for sure.
‘You go and analyse the numbers and Manchester City spent more money than us. Chelsea spent more money than us. Even Everton spent more money than us. I don’t think that’s the problem.
‘Alexis could go everywhere. He had lots of choices. He decided to come here and you have to ask him why.’
Asked if it was odd that Pep Guardiola’s City have complained about the cost, Mourinho suggested his rivals used it as an excuse once they realised Sanchez was going to United instead.
‘Alexis reminds me a little bit of a metaphor,’ he said. ‘When you see the tree with amazing oranges at the top of the tree and cannot get there, you say, “Oh, I got the lower ones because I don’t like the ones at the top”.
‘You like the ones at the top. They are so nice, so orange, so round, so full of juice, but you cannot get there so you say, “I don’t want to go there” or “I didn’t like it, I prefer the other one”. It reminds me of that story.’
Sanchez has been accused of acting like a mercenary, but Mourinho pointed out that the 29-year-old was only demanding his market value and would have cost significantly more had he not been coming to the end of his contract at Arsenal. ‘Honestly, I think it was fair,’ said Mourinho.
‘I cannot say that it was expensive because it wasn’t. I cannot say it was cheap because if you add all the values of his contract, it’s not also cheap.
‘But I think it’s a very good deal for us and the player has a fantastic contract. It’s a contract according to his qualities as a player and according to the situation — no transfer fee.
‘ How much would Alexis Sanchez cost in normal transfer, club to club, as a player with two or three years on his contract? We look at the numbers now and I would say roughly between £100-150m.
‘So you put things in perspective. You go to the numbers that the club didn’t pay on the transfer.
‘I know he has a big passion for football. I know he wanted to play in a different club — for his reasons, he wanted to leave Arsenal. Obviously, he wanted to be paid according to his quality.’
Mourinho is half way through a three-year deal that was due to run out next year but United yesterday announced that the Portuguese — 55 today — has agreed a one-year extension with the option to stay even longer.
Mourinho, who won three trophies in his first season at Old Trafford, said: ‘I am really honoured and proud to be Manchester United manager.
‘I would like to say a big thank you to the owners and to (executive vice- chairman) Mr ( Ed) Woodward for the recognition of my hard work and dedication. I am delighted they feel and trust that I am the right manager for this great club for the foreseeable future.
‘We have set very high standards — winning three trophies in one season — but those are the standards I expect my teams to aim for. We are creating the conditions for a brilliant future for Manchester United.
‘My thanks, of course, go to my staff and to my players, without their empathy and friendship this wouldn’t be possible. I love my players.
‘I cannot finish without thanking the fans for their support and for making me feel at home so.’
Mourinho played down speculation that United could re- sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.