Hoffenheim fined over late doping tests

Hoffenheim fined over late doping testsFrankfurt  - Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim was on Monday fined by the German football federation DFB as it escaped a possible points penalty over a doping rule violation.

The DFB fined Hoffenheim 75,000 euros (97,000 dollars) and the club's doping official Peter Geigle 2,500 euros after players Andreas Ibertsberger and Christoph Janker arrived 10 minutes too late for a post-match drug test.

The DFB had earlier dropped charges against the players over the incident at the February 7 match at Borussia Moenchengladbach, saying that the club and Geigle were to blame and conceding that the doctor for the drug test had also not acted according to the rules.

Under strict anti-doping rules players must go straight from the pitch to the drug test. The Hoffenheim players arrived late after spending several minutes in the dressing room to change shirts.

The rules are strict because certain substances can mask drug abuse within minutes.

But the DFB said that Ibertsberger and Jancker had not committed a doping offence as it handed out the mild verdict.

Hoffenheim could have been fined up to 150,000 euros and lost points over the affair. The players could have faced bans as two Italian players were banned for one year over a similar case.

The DFB also confirmed on Monday that it will introduce a chaperon system from next season on, with designated people (chaperons) bringing each player from the pitch to doping control. (dpa)