The president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, requested the resignation of the director of the Spanish Commission for the Fight Against Doping in Sports (CELAD), José Luis Terreros. The CSD announced it this Friday through an official statement, within the framework of the scandal that shakes the public institutions that regulate and supervise sport in Spain.
CELAD, the body in charge of protecting the right to health of all athletes and the right to participate in a competition without cheating, was the subject of a complaint from an individual a couple of months ago. The documents indicate that CELAD left Spanish athletes who tested positive without sanctioning, activated procedures to cover up the use of prohibited substances and awarded contracts to companies that failed to comply with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), giving rise to defects in form. the controls and their virtual nullity. The AMA itself warned about the verisimilitude of the reported events and the CSD elevated the case to the Prosecutor's Office.
The highest administrative body for sport in Spain, the CSD depends directly on the Government through the Ministry of Education and Sports. Among its powers is that of supervising anti-doping organizations, such as CELAD, but — curiously — it lacks the power to freely remove its leader. The request is a formality. A step in the bureaucratic sequence that Rodríguez Uribes rushed to take this Friday, as reported by the CSD in a long statement.
”We cannot allow the slightest suspicion or doubt in relation to the fight against doping and the system that must guarantee fair play, the integrity of competitions and preserve the health of athletes,” the note stated. “For all this, given the nature of the events and the reputational damage to which Spanish sport and our control system are exposed, the president of the CSD, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, has requested the director of the Spanish Commission for the Fight against Doping in Sports, José Luis Terreros, his resignation.”
After formulating the request, the statement continues detailing the administrative procedure that will be followed in the event that Terreros ignores it: “If this [dimisión] did not occur, the minister [Cultura y Deporte] Pilar Alegría and the president of the Higher Sports Council, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, will propose the dismissal of Mr. Terreros within the framework of the next Governing Council of CELAD. The Governing Council, the body ultimately responsible for this decision, is made up of a councilor representing the Spanish sports federations, a councilor representing all the Autonomous Communities and several councilors representing various Ministries.
The AMA points out “deep-rooted problems” in Spain
The scandal of the Spanish anti-doping administration has repercussions on WADA. Its president, Witold Banka, declared yesterday that his organization has been investigating the Spanish case for some time. “We are very aware of the deeply rooted problems in the Spanish anti-doping fight. I am disappointed with the level of cooperation we have received from CELAD in our attempt to improve the system for Spanish athletes. “The fact that there are positive cases that have not been treated in time is unacceptable.”
“WADA,” Banka concluded, “will always ensure that CELAD – and all anti-doping organizations – adhere to the highest standards consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code, including the prosecution of cases where appropriate. All of these matters are being thoroughly investigated. If they are not addressed quickly and effectively, it is clear that there will be significant consequences for Spanish sport.”
Finally, Banka warned in a letter that WADA detected that Spain is not complying with anti-doping rules. It points in particular to the Anti-Doping Law of 2021 and its implementation by a subsequent decree. “Apparent non-compliance has been identified in a royal decree that was published in October 2023 without any prior consultation with WADA,” the statement indicates. “The way the law is being interpreted and applied in practice does not conform to the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code.”
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