Two Mexican Soccer Players Test Positive in Doping Tests, Contaminated Meat to Blame?

The Mexican Football Federation has revealed that two players have tested positive in doping tests that were taken in the Liga MX's first week of activities. The names of the players have not been revealed yet but according to Mexican media the players either belong to Monterrey, Queretaro, Morelia or Cruz Azul.

It is known that doping controls were performed at the games between Cruz Azul and Monterrey and Queretaro against Morelia in the first week of games of the Liga MX. The substance that the players tested positive for was clenbuterol. According to an official for the league, the doping may be due to contaminated meat. Clenbuterol is often found in high percentages in meat in Mexico and players have tested positive in drug screenings for the substance because of meat consumption.

The studies were conducted by the National Laboratory for Doping Prevention and The National Commission of Physical Culture and Sports (Conade). The Mexican Federation received the results on August 2.

Morelia and Cruz Azul's head coaches admitted that the players who attended the tests were Jesus Corona and Manuel Madrid and Fernando Silva and Luis Zárate, respectively but said that they do not know about any irregularities. Heriberto Ramon Morales, a manager for Morelia said that they had not been informed by the Federation of any abnormal results. "I know nothing, I read the news on the internet, and I know absolutely nothing. No one has approached us," Morales said.

"We train all day, the news came in the afternoon, and we have no information of the League. Yeah, there were doping tests, but we are not aware that the tests came back positive."

Adolfo Rios, Queretaro's president said he is calm and that he is not worried about rumors that involve his team. "We are not alarmed, on the contrary, we are calm, we are not concerned in any way," Rios said.

FIFA sanctions soccer players with up to two years of inactivity because of the use of improper substances. The Mexican Football Federation is governed by the dictates of the International Soccer Federation regulations.

American team coach Miguel Herrera, said Tuesday that the pair of positive results are isolated cases, and that the Mexican soccer is clean from abuse and performance enhancing substances.