Arsene Wenger has scrutinized Uefa’s medication regulations, saying current principles “basically accept doping”.
The Arsenal administrator’s remarks come after Dinamo Zagreb’s Arijan Ademi was banned for a long time for coming up short a test after his side’s Champions League win over the Gunners in September.
Dinamo has not been precluded from the opposition as regulations state two or more players must test positive before that discipline is considered.
Wenger said the principle was “surprising”.
The Uefa regulation compares to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) rules yet Wenger said: “I personally don’t agree with the rule.
“You cannot say that they had a doped player, but the result stands.
“That means you basically accept doping. But it is the rule and we accept that. We have to look at ourselves and deal with our own performance.”
Weapons store need to beat Zagreb at home on Tuesday to keep alive any trusts of making it to the knockout phases of the Champions League.
Wenger, who has stood up on a few events on medication issues, uncovered that doping control officers from Uefa were available at the Premier League club on Friday.
The Frenchman’s remarks on the regulations brought a reaction from European football’s representing body, and in an announcement a representative said: “Uefa’s anti-doping regulations regarding the consequences for teams for doping offences are strictly in accordance with article 11 of the Wada code that states that ‘where more than one team member in a team sport has been notified of a possible anti-doping rule violation, the team shall be subject to target testing for the event.
“If more than two team members in a team sport are found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation during the event, the team may be subject to disqualification or other disciplinary action.”
Dinamo Zagreb mentor Zoran Mamic reacted to Wenger’s remarks, saying: “Mr Wenger can think and talk about what he wants, but there are other people who make decisions about that and that will be in the future.”
Macedonia midfielder Ademi, 24, is engaging against his four-year suspension, reported on 20 November.