FIFA suspends Davids, Couto

Dutch international Edgar Davids and Portugal's Fernando Couto have been suspended from all football with immediate effect, FIFA said on Thursday.

The suspension will run until the end of the open-ended ban imposed by the Italian authorities after the players tested positive for illegal substances.

Davids of Juventus and Lazio's Couto will therefore not be eligible to play in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers of The Netherlands and Portugal on 2 and 6 June 2001.

Both countries are in qualifying group two with second-placed Portugal playing Ireland on Saturday and Cyprus next Wednesday. The Netherlands visit Estonia on Saturday but don't play another qualifier until September.

FIFA has yet to make a decision on another Dutch international, Frank De Boer, who has also tested positive but is awaiting the result of tests on his B sample.

His case will be dealt with by UEFA at a meeting provisionally scheduled for 14 June.

FIFA informed the respective associations on Wednesday from Seoul, where officials are attending the Confederations Cup.

FIFA's statement said: "Both players have been sanctioned by the competent Italian bodies for having tested positive for a substance prohibited under the applicable regulations.

"Under the current FIFA regulations, a player who is suspended for having breached a compulsory regulation is also prevented from playing in other associations for the duration of his suspension.

"Furthermore, an extension of this suspension to national teams' competitions is decided on a case-by-case basis if the infringement committed is considered as being particularly serious.

"Regarding the infringement committed by the players Davids and Couto, FIFA is confronted with a confirmed doping situation.

"Doping is an illegal way of enhancing performance and is a total anathema to the concept of fair play and football ethics.

"As such it is without doubt a particularly serious offence and it is therefore unquestionable that players found guilty of doping should be prevented from playing not only in the competition in which they were convicted of doping but also in all other football competitions."

Couto was suspended on April 27 Davids following on May 17. Both players, and De Boer, the Dutch national captain, tested positive for nandrolone.