Russia probe is not over

RUSSIAN football remains under active investigation relating to state-sponsored doping, according to FIFA.

The news comes as the world governing body prepare to host ‘The Best’ awards tomorrow in London, where Cristiano Ronaldo, Mo Salah and Luka Modric will vie to be crowned the best male player of 2018. All eyes will be on the glitzy party but confirmation that FIFA are still working on a drugs probe is a reminder they have kept the Russian doping scandal parked in the long grass for almost two years.

‘Investigations of several players unrelated to the World Cup (but related to the Russian state-sponsored plot) are still ongoing in close co-operation with (world anti-doping agency) WADA,’ a FIFA spokesman told The Mail on Sunday.

FIFA have been widely lambasted for their lack of progress on alleged doping and cover-ups in the Russian game, including by leading anti-doping officials. They were first given evidence of malpractice in December 2016.

One theory is that FIFA wanted to do nothing to upset Russian president Vladimir Putin before the World Cup this summer.

The FIFA spokesman added: ‘Special care and attention has to be given to the investigation to ensure that if sanctions are taken, these are solid and fully substantiated. Any update will be provided in due course.’

FIFA continue to refuse to answer a raft of questions about their handling of alleged Russian football cases, including why no disciplinary action has been taken against Russia’s football authorities, and why they felt a nation barred from international sport for doping was fit to stage the World Cup.

Russia’s doping plot is back at the forefront of the global sports agenda after WADA agreed to readmit them to international sport, provoking a huge wave of criticism. Russia have failed to meet two key criteria for readmission but WADA have eased their path back anyway.