UEFA hands six-month ban to Manchester City's Samir Nasri for drip treatment

Samir Nasri

Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has been given a six-month doping ban by UEFA, European football's governing body has confirmed. The ban, which the player's legal representative revealed to Press Association Sport on Sunday, follows an investigation into an intravenous hydration treatment the Nasri, 30, received while on holiday in Los Angeles in December 2016.

Nasri, who has played 41 times for France and won the Premier League with City in 2012 and 2014, was given 500millilitres of sterile water and micronutrients by a medical company called Drip Doctors. On loan from City to Spanish side Sevilla at the time, Nasri had reported feeling ill and vomiting before calling a doctor, his Maryland-based former girlfriend Dr Sarabjit Anand, who provided an initial diagnosis.

In a statement, UEFA said its control, ethics and disciplinary body had found the player guilty of using a prohibited method in accordance with sub-section M2, par. 2 of the WADA prohibited list. It added that the six-month ban was awarded on February 22 and is open to appeal. Nasri is currently without a club.

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