Basil
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Costa Rica fume as FIFA tests 7 of their players for drugs
The World Cup's biggest controversy is here with world football up in arms after seven Costa Rican players were called for dope tests by FIFA after their 1-0 win over Italy which secured qualification to the 2nd round.
As per FIFA norms, it is customary for two players from a team to be tested for drugs after a match - but the decision to test seven Costa Rican players including the goal-scorer in that Italy game - Bryan Ruiz - has raised several eyebrows, with Argentinian legend Diego Maradonna accusing football's governing body of discrimination. FIFA though maintain that this is a routine drug test - and that additional players were called in because they weren't available earlier.
"Why test seven players from Costa Rica and not seven from Italy?" Maradona, the 1986 World Cup winner, said. "It's against the rules. Two players from each team are supposed to undergo doping controls. I know what I'm talking about because it happened to me. But seven players? I've never seen something like that.
"Taking seven Costa Ricans to doping shows a lack of respect to the players and to the rules. Costa Rica had an incredible qualification. They had three world champions in the group and they beat them with good football."
Costa Rica, who beat Uruguay 3-1 in their opening tie, face England in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday. The small central American nation need only a point to ensure that they advance to the last 16 as the group winners.
Costa Rica coach, Jorge Luis Pinto, reacted to this decision saying: "We love it, we don't feel fear, on the contrary, we like it. There is a premise about this, why they are doing doping tests to Costa Rica. This is the question I made myself at the first moment, and it is because we are running, Costa Rica runs, and runs, and all my teams run and I congratulate the players for this. They can go on doing doping tests to us."
