Hamburg (dpa) – The joy of the 4: 2 and the promotion place defended at the end of the first half of the 2nd Bundesliga did not last long for Hamburger SV and its fans.
Two hours after the match, the DFB and the club shocked with a statement that has it all: The DFB has initiated proceedings against the professional Mario Vuskovic on suspicion of doping.
The 20-year-old centre-back tested positive for the substance erythropoietin (EPO) during a training check on 16 September. “For the moment we have taken Mario Vuskovic out of training and matches to protect him and the club,” the club said. His absence in the match against Sandhausen had previously been explained as “private reasons”.
First a suspect
The team departed Sunday morning for a nine-day training, competition and recreation trip to California without Vuskovic. He has requested the opening of sample B and is preparing a report. As long as the Vuskovic case is a suspected case.
However, doping experts are unaware that Epo has been mixed into food in the past or unknowingly ingested with drugs used to treat any medical condition. “The legislation distinguishes between specific and non-specific substances and methods. The specific substances and methods mentioned in the regulation are those that are most likely to be used by an athlete for purposes other than performance enhancement,” said a spokeswoman for Nada. “This probability is lower for non-specific substances. The Epo is classified as a non-specific substance.’ Food for Thought: In endurance sports, Epo has been used almost exclusively to boost performance.
The standard penalty for doping offenses is four years. If no guilt is proven, the sentence can be reduced. For the 20-year-old Vuskovic, who is about to join the national team, a long suspension could mean the end of his sporting career.
Determined the prosecutor
Also, the prosecutor is investigating against Vuskovic. He has to, because the anti-doping law has been in force since December 2015. If the offense is confirmed, the player of the U21 selection is also threatened with prosecution before a court.
Professional boxer Felix Sturm was the first high-profile case in Germany to be sentenced to prison for a violation of the anti-doping law, among other things. Police and the prosecutor’s office searched Vuskovic’s locker at the Volksparkstadion on Friday. Nothing was found, they said.
State investigations are of great value to anti-doping investigators. “We want to know: is it a single author or is there someone behind it who runs a network. We work closely with state investigative authorities,” Nada’s spokeswoman said.
Four victories with Vuskovic
After the doping test on September 16, HSV played eight second division games, including four wins (against Düsseldorf, Hanover, Paderborn and Regensburg) and one draw (Kaiserslautern). Can clubs that lost points against Hamburg protest the table?
In 2016, the DFB adapted its rules for judging the game in the event of an anti-doping rule violation to the provisions of the FIFA world association and the UEFA European Football Union. Accordingly, sanctions should only be imposed on a club “if the club can be shown to be at fault or more than two players in the team have violated the anti-doping rules”. Since neither is apparently present, protests that should be filed no later than 48 hours after the incident became known are probably not possible.
But if a doping offense is proven, HSV would have to reschedule the second half of the season. Despite his young age, Vuskovic is very important in Hamburg’s defensive game. This season there has always been until the positive result of the test.
The club signed the centre-back for three million euros in the summer. The previous season, the Hajduk Split talent played on loan at HSV. With an estimated market value of five million euros, he is one of the top professionals in the second division. The loss of him would greatly damage HSV.
Even without the Vuskovic problem, HSV face a challenging second half of the season. League leaders Darmstadt 98 are unbeaten in 16 league games after beating Greuther Fürth 1-1! The HSV is two points away, followed by the 1. FC Heidenheim, also aiming for direct promotion. Behind them, a promising quintet wants to go up: Kaiserslautern, Hanover, Paderborn, Düsseldorf and Kiel.
