Manchester City in hot water with FA after anti-doping charge on failure to ensure 'Club Whereabouts' information was accurate

FA allege Manchester City failed to ensure whereabouts information was in date
It is understood City have been found in breach on three separate occasions
City have been given until January 19 to respond to the charge

Manchester City could face a suspension from football after being charged with a breach of the FA’s anti-doping regulations.

While a fine is more likely, punishments — should City be found guilty — could include a ban, ground closure, points deduction and expulsion from competitions.

The case relates to City allegedly providing inaccurate ‘club whereabouts’ information.

The FA demand that they are informed of the location of teams at all times so that they can carry out random testing via UK Anti-Doping.

That said, this is a potential breach of an FA regulation but not under the jurisdiction of the anti-doping authorities.

Sportsmail understands City have been in contravention three times over a 12-month period — triggering the charge.

Breaches are not restricted to the first team and can be committed at academy level. City have until January 19 to respond and they declined to comment last night.

It is believed the club will claim that the breaches are down to administrative errors.

However, the FA could still take a dim view of City’s behaviour. Such administrative errors, when committed by athletes, are considered every bit as serious as missed tests under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s three strikes policy. Should an athlete fail to provide correct information on their whereabouts three times, they face a two-year ban.

The FA can request information on training schedules, match venues and addresses of players, while the fact City have been charged with a breach of regulation 14(d) suggests they provided the information but that it proved to be incorrect.

WHAT THE FA REGULATIONS SAY

Clubs must provide any whereabouts information the FA requests. This includes where and when training is taking place, players’ home addresses and any other places where they regularly stay overnight.

Manchester City have been charged over an alleged breach of Regulation 14(d), which states: ‘It shall be a breach of this Regulation if the information is either initially inaccurate or has not been updated by the Club as necessary to ensure it remains accurate.’

Penalties range from a warning to a fine, suspension or points deduction.

The charge comes as City midfielder Samir Nasri continues to be investigated over claims he was given an intravenous drip during a trip to Los Angeles last month.

Nasri, on loan at Sevilla, is the subject of a probe by Spain’s anti-doping agency.

Intravenous therapy is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency unless administered in quantities of no more than 50 millilitres per six-hour period or in cases where an athlete has obtained a certificate of dispensation on medical grounds.

The France midfielder has the backing of Sevilla but they were unaware he was having the treatment. Nasri, who can continue to play during the investigation, would have needed a Therapeutic Use Exemption to be exempt from anti-doping regulations.