In a club statement this morning, Ajax confirmed that the disciplinary body of the European football association, UEFA, have imposed a 12 month suspension on their first choice goalkeeper Andre Onana for a doping violation.
Following an “out of competition” check on October 30, 2020, the substance Furosemide was found in the shot-stoppers urine after he mistakenly took a pill that had been prescribed to his wife.
UEFA admitted that they believe Onana had no intention of cheating, but the European Football Association must uphold the applicable anti-doping rules, and stands by the fact that an athlete must ensure at all times no banned substances enter their body.
Onana, who has made 26 appearances for Ajax this season, will now not play football competitively until February 5, 2022.
It has also been confirmed that Onana and Ajax will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In the Ajax statement, Managing director Edwin Van De Sar had more to say on the announcement and the support for their player.
“We explicitly renounce performance-enhancing drugs, we obviously stand for a clean sport.
“Andre is a top goalkeeper, who has proven his worth for Ajax for years and is very popular with the fans.”
The suspension now means that one of Maarten Stekelenburg, Kjell Scherpen or Dominik Kotarski will become the new number one goalkeeper for the Dutch heavyweights.
