LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — A Kazakh soccer player banned for two years by UEFA in a doping case had his appeal heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Wednesday.
Ruslan Valiullin tested positive for a banned stimulant after a Europa Conference League game in August 2021 but the case was brought only after he scored twice in a World Cup qualifying game for Kazakhstan three weeks later. It ended 2-2 against Ukraine and the result stood.
The 28-year-old midfielder has not played in 13 months while the case has passed through UEFA judicial bodies to CAS.
The court said Valiullin is challenging a two-year ban in a case that involves the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine. It gave no timetable for a verdict.
Valiullin tested positive after Kazakh club Tobol lost to Slovakian team Žilina 5-0 in a Europa Conference League qualifying game.
Last year, an official from the Kazakhstan soccer federation said Valiullin believed his failed doping test was the result of “some vitamins” he had been taking.
Athletes testing positive for methylhexaneamine have often blamed tainted supplements but need to prove the source of contamination for a reduced ban to be considered.
UEFA has never published details of Valiullin’s case, citing its own confidentiality policy for doping cases.
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