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France rocked by doping scandals
PARIS (AP) -- French soccer and judo officials confirmed new doping cases Wednesday, and the country's sports minister vowed to take tough action eight months before France plays host to soccer's World Cup.The officials confirmed a report in Wednesday's sports daily l'Equipe that three more Division 1 soccer players and a judoka tested positive for muscle-building anabolic steroids. They faced a second round of testing to confirm the cases.
Authorities did not immediately release the names, but French media reported the three soccer players were Antoine Sibierski of Auxerre, Toulouse's Dominique Arribage and Vincent Guerin of Paris Saint-Germain.
The judoka was identified as Djamel Bouras, who won a silver medal in the 1997 World Judo Championships this month in Paris, French media said.
After other French soccer players have also been caught or accused of doping or drug use, the youth and sports Minister Marie-George Buffet on Wednesday vowed to come down hard.
Buffet affirmed her "will to strongly fight doping" and that the government's new budget doubles funding for that purpose.
In a statement Wednesday, the French Football Federation also called for a get-tough plan to fight doping by establishing new guidelines with clubs, players, trainers and doctors.
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