Manchester City defender Kolo Toure banned for six months after positive drugs test

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure will miss the start of next season after being banned from all football for failing a drugs test.The Ivorian has been hit with the suspension by the FA after admitting a doping offence for taking his wife's diet pills. The ban has been back dated to March 2 when he was suspended by his club, meaning he will not be abel to kick a ball again anywhere until September 2.The City defender had to sit out the last two months of the season and missed his team's FA Cup triumph over Stoke as well as seeing his team-mate wrap up third spot in the Premier League and thus Champions League qualification.In confirming the ban on Thursday evening, the FA revealed the Toure will also be the subject of target testing for a period of two years from 26 May 2011, but admitted the defender did not take the pills to try and increase performance.

"He did not intend to enhance sporting performance or to mask the use of a performance enhancing substance," the statement read.

"The Player accepted he was at fault and with that concession we agree. He was at fault in the limited and perfunctory efforts he made in relation to the water tablets; the checks he made in relation to those tablets were inadequate and fell some way below what it would be reasonable to expect of a professional footballer in these circumstances."

Toure admitted he was relieved the saga was over but claimed he was disappointed to have missed out on City's end of season successes.
“This has been a difficult period for me, and I am sad to have missed the team’s triumph of securing Champions League football for Manchester City and also the FA Cup victory at Wembley," commented Toure," he told City's official website.

"But I am relieved that I will be able to return to football in September and thank the FA’s commission for their understanding about my case in coming to their decision today.”