Guardiola doping case reopened by Italians

The Italian Olympic Committee are to reopen the case against the Barcelona coach over alleged drug use during his time as a player at Brescia.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) are to reopen the case against Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola over alleged drug use during his time as a player at Brescia. Guardiola was fined and suspended for four months in 2001 for alleged nandrolone use and his sentence was upheld by the appeal court of the Italian football federation (FIGC). The 38-year-old was later cleared on appeal of all charges by the Brescia court, but Italy's anti-doping prosecutor has now persuaded CONI to re-examine the case. A statement on the CONI website, www.coni.it, read: "On Tuesday September 15, Guardiola's case will be examined, based on the appeal from the anti-doping prosecutor's office against the decision reached by the FIGC's court of federal justice, when they sat on May 8, 2009." * PA Sport