Fiorentina's Romanian striker Adrian Mutu faces a ban for doping after he tested positive for sibutramine, a banned substance principally used in the treatment of obesity but which can enable an athlete to increase his level of aggression.

Mutu's mother, Rodica Mutu, suggested she was to blame, saying she left some of her slimming tablets at her son's home while visiting him in Italy. "Maybe he took them out of curiosity as I had boasted about losing weight," she said. "But in any case, the box says that they're a natural product that contains no banned substances."

Mutu's Inter Milan and Romania teammate Cristian Chivu defended him, saying that he was "obsessed by his figure." Mutu, who was dropped by Chelsea after a positive test for cocaine in 2004 and served a seven-month ban, now risks a suspension of between one and four years. This season, Mutu has played in 11 Serie A and six Champions League matches, scoring four and three goals in each competition, respectively.

 

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