Yahoo News Saido Berahino 'banned for failing drug test while at West Brom' - according to reports
The Stoke City striker Saido Berahino failed a drugs test in September and served a secret Football Association ban for part of which he trained alone at a fitness camp in France, it has been reported.
The former England Under-21 international, who joined Stoke for £12 million from West Bromwich Albion last month, played his last game for his former club against Bournemouth on Sept 10, 2016.
A ban would also have rendered him ineligible to play for the club’s Under-23 side, the Daily Mail reported, and Berahino did not play for the junior team from Sept 20 until Dec 12.
The 23-year-old is reported to have tested positive for a recreational substance, and was therefore not subject to the World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions to which the FA is a signature. However, the FA also has its own regulations in place which cover social drug abuse and can ban players who test positive for up to six months.
The governing body does not disclose the details of bans for recreational drug offences and instead prefers that players seek treatment and, if necessary, rehabilitation. The FA believes that the secrecy helps the player to seek an effective recovery programme, although it has come under pressure to name those who fail tests for recreational drugs.
Neither West Brom nor the FA were available to comment on Thursday night. The Mail reported that Stoke were aware of Berahino’s ban, which has now been served in full, before they bought the player last month. He tested positive in an out-of-competition test. The striker has since made his debut for his new club.
