Guardiola protests innocence

Brescia Calcio midfield player Josep Guardiola has protested his innocence after becoming the latest Serie A player to fail a test for the banned steroid nandrolone.

Piacenza match questioned
The former FC Barcelona captain, who joined the Italian club in September, failed a drug test after Brescia's match against Piacenza FC on 21 October, according to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on Thursday.

Guardiola denial
The 30-year-old Guardiola has been suspended pending a counter-analysis, or B-test, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Friday. But Guardiola remains confident that the second test will clear his name. "I haven't taken anything and I hope that the counter-analysis will prove it," he said at a press conference on Friday.

'It is not true'
"In all the years that I have been with Barcelona and with the national team, where I have had so many tests, nothing has ever happened," added Guardiola. "I am very unhappy but I am convinced that I will win because I believe in all that I have done in all these years as a professional. There is a machine that says I have taken nandrolone and there is a man at the side of the machine who says it is not true."

Similar fate
Guardiola is the second player in Italian football to test positive for nandrolone in the past week. S.S. Lazio defender Jaap Stam was suspended with immediate effect last Friday by CONI and on Saturday had his suspension upheld by the Italian Football League's disciplinary committee - a similar fate will befall Guardiola if his counter-tests are also positive.

'Serious professionalism'
Guardiola, who has become only the second Spanish player ever to test positive for nandrolone, has received the full backing of both his current and former club. "The club have received this news with amazement and regret," Brescia said in a statement. "We await with confidence the outcome of the counter-analysis and we are convinced of the innocence and good faith of Guardiola who throughout his career has always demonstrated serious professionalism."

'A misunderstanding'
Barcelona president Joan Gaspart told the Catalan club's official website he was sure there had been a mistake in Guardiola's case. "We are convinced that we are dealing with a misunderstanding that will soon be cleared up, but now we all have to give him our support," he said. "Barcelona will do everything we can to help the player."