Agent at centre of Gatlin doping allegations is dropped by UEFA ‘until further notice’
ROBERT WAGNER, the agent at the heart of fresh doping allegations against Justin Gatlin, was last night dropped from his role as an official at European football’s governing body.
Until last night he made stadium visits, oversaw television production and arranged interviews with players in UEFA’S second-tier Europa League continental competition. Wagner also boasted of arranging Champions League matches in Kazakhstan in meetings with undercover reporters working for The Daily Telegraph.
The trips also provided opportunities to broker trade agreements with senior government figures in the region, he said – including a deal to export Swiss cheese to a former Soviet republic. Wagner remarked: “The rules are only for people without friends,
OK.
“You have friends, you don’t have to worry about any rules. I’m sure you know that.”
But the following day his relationship with UEFA came to an end, as a spokesman said: “Mr Robert Wagner has worked for UEFA as a freelance Venue Operations Broadcast Manager. In light of recent events, UEFA has decided not to use his services any more until further notice”.
Over the course of the investigation, Wagner frequently communicated via an email account ending ‘rdbull.at’, and including an image of a red bull markedly similar to that of the well-known soft drink maker.
Yesterday Red Bull said neither had been authorised by them, but a company statement read: “We have worked with Robert Wagner as a consultant in the field of athletics for many years. There are no circumstances in which we would ever accept the intentional doping of athletes.”
Sportswear firm Nike, which struck a sponsorship deal with Justin Gatlin in 2015 – eight years after they ended their commercial relationship with him over a second failed dope test – declined to comment.