FIFA May Hire Independent Investigator to Probe Doping in Russia - Lawyer

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The lawyer of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) informant Grigory Rodchenkov, Jim Walden, said on Saturday that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was considering the issue of hiring an independent investigator in the doping case in Russian football.
Sputnik

"As of today, I know FIFA is considering whether to hire an independent investigator…. I suspect that even if there’s a finding of doping in Russia, nothing will be done," Walden told the BBC broadcaster on Saturday.

In December, Walden said that FIFA did not request data from Rodchenkov, while the organization reported a few days later that it had tried to contact the informant in November, but then WADA responded that he was not available.

The comment follwed his allegations, saying that dozens of Russian football players, including members of the national team, were engaged in the alleged state doping program.

In its turn, the Russian Football Union said that FIFA had no credible evidence of doping violation by Russian football players. At the moment, FIFA expects the results of the re-checking of the doping tests, which should be completed in mid-January.

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