Mar. 24, 2009 – Soccer Federations Reject WADA’s Stricter Drug Testing Policies

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) release a statement on Mar. 24, 2009 announcing that they formally reject WADA’s new “whereabouts” rule requiring athletes to tell WADA where they will be for one hour every day.

They also state that they do not accept out-of-competition drug testing for players on vacation because it is an invasion of privacy.

WADA responds by criticizing FIFA and UEFA for their stance, and threatens that soccer may be removed from the Olympic games if the organizations do not comply with drug testing rules.