SANCHEZ SHOCK
Manchester United’s new signing ‘missed’ drugs test on Monday
MANCHESTER United’s new £600,000-per-week superstar Alexis Sanchez was last night claimed to have missed a drugs test at Arsenal’s training ground on Monday.
It is unclear who was at fault and whether it is Sanchez 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 that he was not there, but the European footballing body 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 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 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 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 this evening. Last night, United had not received notification of a problem from either the FA or UK Anti-Doping.
The Chilean was the topic of conversation for United boss Jose Mourinho yesterday as he used a comparison with oranges to accuse City of sour grapes over Sanchez’s move — then insisted the player’s move to Old Trafford was not driven by money.
City claimed to have withdrawn from negotiations due to Sanchez’s financial demands. But Mourinho, who yesterday signed a contract extension committing his own future to United until at least 2020 and increasing his £13.8m-per-year terms to about £15m, questioned the reasoning of his rivals.
‘I know that if other clubs did not get him, it’s not a problem of money, for sure,’ he said. ‘You go and analyse the numbers and City spent more money than us. Chelsea spent more money than us. Even Everton spent more. I don’t think that’s the problem.
‘Alexis 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 they 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.’
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.
‘I am really honoured and proud to be United manager,’ said Mourinho, who won three trophies in his first season at Old Trafford.
‘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. I am delighted they feel and trust that I am the right manager for this great club.’