Croatia Under 21 international Mario Vuskovic, who plays for German second division club Hamburg SV, has been banned for two years for doping, the German Football Association (DFB) said on Thursday.
The 21-year-old defender, who joined Hamburg in 2021, had tested positive for performance-boosting substance EPO.
‘All analysis show a clearly visible find of a substance foreign to the body that is EPO, even if it is in reduced amounts,’ said Stephan Oberholz, head of the DFB sports court.
He said Vuskovic’s A and B samples had been tested repeatedly.
The results were also confirmed by other doping experts outside Germany and the player ‘could not deliver the proof of a wrong doping find.’
Vuskovic’ first offence and the small amount of EPO meant this was not a case of systematic doping, the DFB said.
Given the player’s young age combined with the impact that a long suspension could have on his future career development, the DFB opted for a two-year ban and not a longer one.
Hamburg said they would appeal the decision.
The player, who has made 16 second division appearances this season and scored two goals, had provided a urine sample in September last year and his suspension was backdated to start on November 15, 2022.
