Italian international Gennaro Gattuso has defended his decision not to take a voluntary blood test after Sunday’s match between Milan and Roma.
Gattuso and his team-mate Giuseppe Pancaro agreed to the mandatory urine tests for banned substances but refused the blood tests – as they are entitled to do under current regulations.
”I refused because you either do things seriously or not,” said Gattuso.
”For months no-one has been doing them and now they bring this new thing up.
”Anyway, I don’t see what the problem is as it is not an obligation.
”Let’s plan the tests well, treat everyone the same and I will be happy to comply.”
Last year, Italian Football Federation president Franco Carraro warned that any player refusing a test could be omitted from the national team.
A spokesman for the Federation said: “I’m sorry for Gattuso who is a member of the Players’ Association, an association with which we had long meetings to define the system,” stated Capua.
”There was complete agreement for the checks and the fact they would be made surprisingly.
”The blood test isn’t compulsory but this doesn’t mean in the future that we won’t find an agreement that sees the players obliged to take the test.
”I’m so sorry because they are two national team players.”
