On December 19, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes was appointed president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD). Two weeks later he already has on the table one of the thorniest issues that can be remembered affecting the prestige of Spanish sport. His first measure in this regard was to request the resignation, last Friday in the middle of the Three Wise Men’s parade, of José Luis Terreros, director of the Spanish Commission for the Fight Against Doping in Sports (CELAD). Let’s see why.
That same Friday morning, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued a very harsh statement against CELAD for its “continuous irregularities.” Some extracts were especially serious, calling into question “several issues related to controls and results management” and the “non-implementation of urgent corrective measures” despite WADA’s requirements. The statement, signed by the Polish Witold Banka, president of said Agency, also criticized the, in his opinion, poor application of the Anti-Doping Law approved in 2021 by Spain with the coverage, now in doubt, of WADA. “The fact that there are positive cases that have not been treated in time, despite regular monitoring by WADA, is unacceptable,” the international organization harshly stated.
The reaction of the CSD, a body that depends directly on the Spanish government but does not have the power to appoint or dismiss positions in CELAD, was to ask hours later for the resignation of Terreros: “We cannot allow the slightest suspicion or doubt in relation to the struggle. against doping and with the system that must guarantee fair play, the integrity of competitions and preserve the health of athletes.” That is to say, the highest body of Spanish sport took the side of the accuser, a position that leaves CELAD on the ropes. This newspaper contacted sources from CELAD, which for the moment has decided not to make a public statement.
The origin of this controversy began a few months ago following a complaint from an individual who pointed out malpractice in the method of detecting doping positives in our country. From the documentation provided, it was deduced that CELAD left without sanctioning Spanish athletes, whose identity and sporting discipline are unknown, who tested positive, covered up the use of prohibited substances and awarded contracts to companies that failed to comply with the parameters dictated by WADA, giving foot to defects of form. The CSD already elevated the case to the Prosecutor’s Office.
The alleged laxity of the Spanish anti-doping agency is therefore not a current issue. The focus of the AMA began to be directed towards Spain with the occasion of the application of the biological passport years ago, a tool that allowed for continuous monitoring of athletes (monthly controls) to precisely avoid masking the possible occasional consumption of doping substances. Despite its administration in many countries, in Spain this passport was not accepted until very recently and in some international forums there was talk of the “Spanish paradise” in a pejorative sense. Now the biological passport is already applied normally but not retroactively, leaving presumed past irregularities unpunished.
The repercussions that this matter may have for Spanish sport are still unknown. The speed of the CSD’s reaction is intended, among other things, to cushion the effect of possible sanctions. The AMA, in its statement, did not rule out anything: “All of these matters are being thoroughly investigated by the AMA. If they are not addressed quickly and effectively, it is clear that they will have important consequences for Spanish sport.” The most notable case in this sense was the exclusion of Russia from the Tokyo Games for state doping.