Goalkeeper barred for dope claim

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 33

Goalkeeper barred for dope claim

NZPA Cologne West German World Cup goalkeeper Harald "Toni” Schumacher was banned for one first division match by his club Cologne after making allegations that fellow players take dope.

The ban means Schumacher will not play for his team in the away game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. The Cologne board said it might take further action against Schumacher but' would first examine his claims, contained in a new autobiography, and wait to see what measures the West German Football Federation (D.F.8.) would take. Club president Peter Weiland said Schumacher’s allegations were "damaging to the team.” Schumacher’s claims of dope-taking, made in a book which is to appear next month, caused a storm of controversy after extracts were published in the weekly news magazine, “Spiegel.” Cologne also said it would carry out doping tests on all members of the team who faced Eintracht Frankfurt, to protect both the reputation of the club and its players. “We owe it to our players,” a club spokesman said. The D.F.B. said it would look into whether action should be taken against Schumacher for bringing the game into disrepute after studying the book. A decision on whether to

take disciplinary proceedings will be made at a meeting on March 6, Schumacher’s thirty-third birthday. West Germany's team manager, Franz Beckenbauer, who received strong criticism in the book, said the goalkeeper would be named in his squad for a special training session next month. But he hinted Schumacher may well be dropped after a meeting between Becken-

bauer and D.F.B. chief, Hermann Neuberger, to discuss the situation. “What am I going to do if five national players say they don’t want to play alongside Toni any more?” Beckenbauer said. Current professionals playing in West Germany are split between those who describe Schumacher’s allegations as nonsense and those who say they know of cases where dope was taken.