On Tuesday the 13th Sporting Cristal lost 1-0 in their visit to Real Garcilaso in Cusco. However, that was not the only bad news, but their players Mauricio Viana and Renzo Garcés, who had been selected for the anti-doping control, did not comply with the protocol. The club issued a statement on Thursday night.
Through a press release, the institution highlighted that both players "did show up to comply with the anti-doping control, as dictated by the draw carried out in Cusco". The problem that Cristal pointed out was the absence of a "properly identified anti-doping team member to accompany the players to the sample collection in this control at the SCD".
Sporting Cristal argues that neither their doctor (Yaver Acuña) nor their team manager (Maximiliano Frías) were notified about the location SCD. Despite this, they searched for it and even visited the referees' dressing room "to find out if they were aware of where the SCD was". Minutes later, some workers at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega stadium informed them that "the SCD was located on the outside of the East stand".
For safety reasons. After Sporting Cristal revealed the story of how there were no conditions for the anti-doping control at the stadium where the match for matchday 4 of the Torneo Apertura was played, they showed their stance on why Viana and Garcés did not comply with it.
"There was no timely information about the location of the SCD, with the aggravating factor that it was not located in a place easily accessible from the field, as dictated by article 7.1 of the Doping Control Regulations. In addition, the SCD must be in an area that 'allows the transfer of players without danger of aggression from third parties', as stated in the Rules," reads the statement. Sporting Cristal preferred to prioritize the integrity of its players.
