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Ben-Hatira doping controversy

April 29, 2016

Anis Ben-Hatira has attracted the attention of anti-doping authorities after he posted a picture on Snapchat, which showed syringes and drugs. Frankfurt have denied that the Tunisian attacker had doped.

https://p.dw.com/p/1IfN4
Fußball Bundesliga 27. Spieltag Eintracht Frankfurt - Hannover 96
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/S. Hofmann

Germany's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) said on Friday that it would launch an investigation into Eintracht Frankfurt's Anis Ben-Hatira after he posted the picture on Snapchat, which showed a bottle of Lipotalon, which contains the banned substance dexamethasone.

"I don't want to say anything specific at the present time. But further investigations and timely, targeted checks are high on the list of measures," NADA manager Lars Mortsiefer told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" newspaper.

Speaking at a press conference, Eintracht Frankfurt spokesman Markus Jestaedt said the drug was not connected to the treatment of the 27-year-old Tunisian. "The doctor has confirmed this," he said.

The post has since been deleted by the player. According to NADA, dexamethasone is a banned substance in sporting competition.

"I'll talk to him about that. That was stupid. I'm already not a huge fan of social media anyway," Frankfurt's head coach, Niko Kovac, told the press conference.

The attacking midfielder, who moved to Frankfurt from Hertha Berlin during the January transfer window, scored the winning goal against Mainz last weekend.

Frankfurt, second-from-bottom and one point adrift, take on Darmstadt this weekend in the second Hesse derby of the season.

rd/pfd (SZ, SID, dpa)