LAUSANNE, Switzerland – Brazilian-born Portugal soccer player Deco has been cleared of doping because of faulty procedures by a Rio de Janeiro laboratory which has since been suspended from World Cup testing.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport says a settlement between Deco, the Brazilian soccer federation and FIFA annulled his one-year ban imposed last September.
The Rio lab has been suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency since last August.
The lab was dropped from World Cup testing, meaning FIFA will have to fly doping samples to Lausanne for testing during the tournament.
The case against Deco collapsed when his samples were re-tested in Lausanne.
The CAS ruling says: "It could not be established that (Deco) has committed an anti-doping rule violation."
The 36-year-old retired player allegedly tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide and tamoxifen in early 2013.
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