Rio Banned for 8 Months

So he's been banned for 8 months for missing a drugs test which means he'll miss Englands Euro 04 campaign.

Do you think it was fair???

Im not exactly Rios biggest fan but I think its a harsh punishment, esp when I was reading another player did the same thing in another country and only got fined two weeks wages.

i think its a very harsg punnishment. I think they are doing it to set an example to other footballers and other people in professional sport.

I am hoping MUFC's appeal is successfull and we can have the guy back for Englands Euro 2004 campaign, we would really miss him.

Good! He's broken the rules, drugs are banned, so if he's gonna miss a drugs test then he deserves to be banned. Even if his excuse was apparently innocent. If I miss an exam in university, they don't let me take it the next day, I have to take the resit 3 months later, and get restricted marks. Its the same principal, so why should things be any different for him? Stupid b*stard!

Rrrrrr, now thats a bit harsh mate. You support Wales then i guess?

Yep hehehe I'm just jealous because we didn't make it in!! But still, I do think he should be banned for what he's done. If drugs are going to be banned, then there should be punishment for breaking the rules. Whether 8 months is fair I dunno, but its not going to affect England that much anyway. It's not like they're gonna win it or anything!! I personally think that certain drugs shouldn't be banned, but thats a different debate altogether!

haha, i knew it.

Dont say England wont win it, coz i think out of everyone in the tournament, england are one of the teams i think have an excellent chance of winning it, or at least doing well in it. We have a lot of young players with fantastic potential there and our top players are reaching their peak of their games like scholsey and becks.

I think Rio's bad should of been closer to an Ten Game ban or something like that. 8 mnths is just rediculous.

Yep a 10 game ban and a £50,000 fine would of been about right. But the
F.A are trying to prove a point to any player that missing a drugs test will mean you get severely punished.

Problem is the F.A have shot themselves in the foot now so to speak as Rio wont be going to Portugal so they are making the England team suffer for something that has nothing to do with them.

On one of the coaching courses I went to over the summer we got told about the measures used in football to try and combat players taking drugs and to be fair they are so strict.
Rios just found out the hard way

RIO'S A JUNKIE HE'S A JUNKIE HES A JUNKIE!!!!!

u don't miss drug tests, simple as that.

Hehe - I think its funny!! Especially as its Man United