Ashdod youngster fails drugs test

'Positive results'
The 19-year-old gave a sample showing traces of the stimulant after he was selected for a random doping test following Ashdod's Premier League game at Hapoel Kfar-Saba on 15 February. His 'B' test subsequently confirmed the findings. An IFA statement said: "Yaniv Azran's second test for banned substances also returned [from a special clinic in Germany] with positive results."

Random test
Azran, who has made 13 league appearances this season, was an unused substitute in the match which Ashdod won 2-0 against fellow relegation strugglers. He has admitted to using an anti-cold drug the night before the game, and said he told the authorities this information prior to the tests.

Club make case
Ashdod intend to send his sample to another clinic to prove his case. Ashdod general manager Naor Galili said: "We were not surprised by the 'B' tests as we were certain they would match the 'A' tests. We will send those samples to a clinic abroad and prove that the banned substance generates from the anti-cold medication the player took. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion".

IFA action
The IFA are considering an appropriate course of action. IFA spokesman Shaul Aizenberg said: "The findings of the test have been passed on to the club and the IFA's legal adviser Moshe Avivi has been asked to deal with the matter."