Barnsley defender Bambo Diaby banned from football for two years after prohibited fat burner Higenamine was found in urine sample
- Doping officials found traces of the banned substance in Diaby’s urine following Barnsley’s match with Blackburn in November 2019
- The FA has banned the defender from all football until January 16, 2022
- This is two years on from date of his provisional suspension earlier this year
- Diaby admitted the charge but couldn’t explain how it entered his system
- Barnsley cancelled Diaby’s contract by mutual consent following the ban
Barnsley defender Bambo Diaby has been banned from football for two years after breaching the Football Association’s anti-doping regulations.
UK Anti-Doping officials found traces of the fat burner Higenamine in a urine sample provided by the 22-year-old following Barnsley’s match against Blackburn Rovers in November last year.
Diaby admitted the charge but did not establish how the substance entered his system, leading to a suspension from all football-related activity until January 16, 2022. This is two years from the date of his provisional suspension earlier this year.
Barnsley defender Bambo Diaby has been banned from football for two years after the prohibited substance Higenamine was found in a urine sample
He was found not guilty by the FA’s regulatory commission of knowingly ingesting a banned substance.
The Championship club confirmed the termination of Diaby’s contract by mutual consent following the FA’s decision.
Higenamine, which is increasingly found in dietary supplements, is classified as ‘prohibited at all times’ in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Diaby, who signed for Barnsley from the Belgian club Lokeren in July 2019 and played 22 times for the club, wrote an open letter to fans of the Yorkshire club following his ban.
He said: ‘I maintain my innocence, something the FA have acknowledged themselves but I must handle this decision with my family and look forward to a brighter future.
‘And you never know what may happen. I will never give in on one day pulling that shirt back on.
‘I have been inundated with messages of support from Reds fans throughout this ordeal and you will never appreciate just how much this meant to me during a difficult time.
Diaby penned an open letter to Barnsley fans after the club terminated his contract
‘From my first moment at this great club, I was welcomed with open arms by staff, players and the whole community of Barnsley.’
An FA statement read: ‘Bambo Diaby has been suspended from all football and football-related activity for two years following a breach of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations.
‘The Barnsley FC defender provided an in-competition urine sample to The FA and UK Anti-Doping officials on 23 November 2019 that was found to contain Higenamine once analysed.
‘The World Anti-Doping Agency classifies Higenamine as a prohibited substance at all times and he was subsequently charged by The FA for a breach of its Anti-Doping Regulations.
‘While Bambo Diaby admitted the charge, he did not establish how the Higenamine entered his system. As such, an independent Regulatory Commission imposed the mandatory two-year ban.
‘The suspension is effective from the date of the player’s provisional suspension on 17 January 2020 and will run up to and including 16 January 2022.’
