Russia to be under doping control watch at Euro 2016: UEFA

Paris, June 8 (IANS) The Russian football team will be under particular observation regarding doping control issues at Euro 2016 in France, Marc Vouillamoz, head of the European football body UEFA medical and anti-doping unit, said.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, Vouillamoz said UEFA was well aware of the doping allegations in Russian sports since "it was making the headlines in the press," reports Tass.

"We are also working very closely with the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), who monitor the (anti-doping) program in Russia," the UEFA official said. "We have coordinated with them what could be done."

"Of course we are paying special attention on the Russian team," Vouillamoz added.

Russian sports has been at the centre of doping-related scandals since last year. Starting this year doping control in Russian sports has been exercised by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) strictly under the supervision of the British anti-doping agency (UKAD).

The Russian national squad held its training camp in Switzerland's Bad-Ragaz between May 24 and June 5. UEFA doping officers visited the camp in Bad-Ragaz on May 29 and collected doping samples of 10 players.

This was the first procedure to collect the doping samples from the Russian team. It was held in line with all regulations and took about an hour and a half, according to the Russian Football Union (RFU).

Following last Sunday's friendly match 1-1 draw against Serbia in Monaco, the Russian squad moved to its 2016 Euro Cup base camp at Croissy-sur-Seine, which is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Ile-de-France region in northcentral France.

The Euro 2016 will be held in France between June 10 and July 10 with matches to be played in 10 different locations, namely in Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.

The contesting teams have been divided into six groups and Russia is placed in Group B, sharing it with England, Wales and Slovakia.

The Russian football team will play three matches in the Euro-2016 group stage -- against England in Marseille on June 11, Slovakia in Lille on June 15 and Wales in Toulouse on June 20.

--IANS

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