The Fancy Bears hackers have targeted football by releasing a series of documents they claim show officials are ‘lying’ about the lack of doping in the game.
The Russian cyber espionage group has previously leaked documents showing therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) handed to cyclists Chris Froome and Sir Bradley Wiggins. Their hack of the IAAF’s computer system showed Sir Mo Farah was once under suspicion for doping offences.
Now, in a threatening message that suggests up to 200 footballers were ‘caught doping’ in 2016, the Fancy Bears allege that several big-name players used banned medication at the 2010 World Cup, including Argentina’s Carlos Tevez and Juan Veron, Germany striker Mario Gomez and Dirk Kuyt of Holland.
The Fancy Bears message read: ‘Greetings citizens of the world.
‘You can have a look at WADA documents revealing that more than 150 players were caught doping in 2015. The next year this number increased up to 200 athletes.
‘Today Fancy Bears’ hack team is publishing the material leaked from various sources related to football. Football players and officials unanimously affirm that this kind of sport is free of doping. Our team perceived these numerous claims as a challenge and now we will prove they are lying.’
The message accompanies a link to three documents. The Fancy Bears claim that two of these show World Anti-Doping Agency statistics for failed drugs tests from labs around the world in both 2015 and 2016. The ‘Lab Result Report Samples’ are all anonymous.
The third document is entitled ‘TUE and DoU Overview for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa’ and contains the names of 25 players and the drugs they have allegedly been permitted to use while at the tournament.
Argentina have the most players on the list with five members of their squad allegedly using medication during the event. Germany is the next highest with four. The two teams played each other in the quarter-finals, with Germany winning 4-0 before losing to Spain in the semis.
There are no England players on the list.
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