Eight Tunisia players ‘tested positive’ for clenbuterol at World Cup | OneFootball

Daily Mail reports that eight Tunisia players are said to have tested positive for clenbuterol during the World Cup. Tunisia went out at the group stage.

The substance is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. It relaxes the airways and is often used by bodybuilders to reduce fat while maintaining muscle.

Soon after the tests, the likely source was traced to meat eaten at the team's base in Monterrey, Mexico, rather than an attempt to enhance performance. In some countries, including Mexico, clenbuterol is used as a growth promoter in livestock, particularly cattle.

The alleged positives did not appear to help Tunisia on the pitch. They failed to win a game and conceded 12 goals.

There is precedent. At the 2011 Gold Cup, five Mexico players tested positive for clenbuterol and were immediately withdrawn, then cleared after a joint inquiry by the Mexican football federation and WADA found meat contamination. In the same year, 109 players tested positive at the Under-17 World Cup.

Source: L'Équipe