Deco, former Chelsea and Portugal midfielder, fails drug test in Brazil
Posted Thursday, May 02, 2013 by theguardian.com
Deco currently plays for the Brazilian champions Fluminense. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images
The former Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Deco has tested positive for a banned diuretic in Brazil. The 35-year-old, who has also played for Barcelona and Porto, failed the test following Fluminense's win over Boavista on 30 March.
Deco's lawyers said on Tuesday that traces of furosemide, which can help hide performance-enhancing substances, came from contaminated vitamins given to him by a pharmacist.
Fluminense refused to comment until the results of a B sample are released on Friday. The playmaker has not travelled with his team-mates to Ecuador for Thursday's first leg of their Copa Libertadores last-16 tie against Emelec.
Deco spent two seasons with Chelsea, making over 50 appearances and winning the Premier League as well as two FA Cups, before returning to the country of his birth with Fluminense in 2010.
He started his career at Corinthians and is one of a select number of players to have won the Champions League with two different clubs: José Mourinho's Porto in 2004 and Barcelona in 2006
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