The Cameroonian union doctor will testify on Wednesday if André Onana hopes to shorten or remit his doping suspension at the international sports tribunal CAS, his lawyer Dolf Segaar told Tuesday. The Telegraph. The doctor in question advised Onana to take an aspirin, which started the whole doping case. The 25-year-old goalkeeper of Ajax was tested positive for the banned substance furosemide last October during a doping control and is currently out of a twelve-month suspension.
Onana herself is present at the case on Wednesday as a witness, as are his wife and the union doctor. “The doctor is not the most important trump card,” says Segaar. “The most important trump card is that there are matters that resemble this one, but are sanctioned below. The facts, that André accidentally took the wrong pill, are recognized by all parties. It is about punishment, reasonableness and proportionality. If we all say that André did it unconsciously, do you have to take him out of his profession for a year? “
Onana has indicated that the banned substance was in a water pill of his pregnant wife. The keeper said he took the pill accidentally, as he mistook it for aspirin. Segaar hopes in any case for a reduced sentence for his client on Wednesday. “We also ask for acquittal, but a reduced sentence is the most realistic,” said the counsel. “UEFA has said that it is a plausible story that Onana accidentally took a pill from his wife from the bedside table instead of an aspirin. We hope that the CAS finds that a slight degree of carelessness.”
Arsenal wants to take Onana over appeal regardless of ruling
The NOS reported on Tuesday that the transfer from Onana to Arsenal will be completed after the decision of the sports tribunal CAS.
Despite the fact that UEFA believes the story of Onana, the union has still decided to impose a 12-month suspension. If UEFA, which will also be present at the case online on Wednesday, had not believed the story, the Cameroonian closing post hung a four-year suspension. “A slight degree of carelessness carries a penalty of zero to eight months,” Segaar continues. “And even with an average degree of carelessness, for which UEFA has convicted him, the CAS can reduce the sentence to eight months. That means eight to sixteen months. UEFA has taken the penalty in the middle. I am hopeful. that the CAS decides to reduce the sentence. “
Segaar assumes that the CAS will issue a decision on the penalty within one or two weeks after the case has been handled. Should it turn out to be beneficial for Onana, he would be immediately available again. He may have already played his last match for Ajax. The goalkeeper’s contract expires in the summer of next year. Talks about a new contract have come to nothing, so director of football affairs Marc Overmars wants to sell him to prevent him from leaving for free in a year. Arsenal has already announced that they would like to take over the goalkeeper.