Guardiola fails second test

The Spanish international Josep Guardiola, already suspended after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone, has failed a second drug test, the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) said yesterday.

Coni said that Guardiola, who plays in Italy for the Serie A club Brescia, had given a positive sample after the game between Lazio and Brescia on 4 November. Last week Coni said that the former Barcelona captain had tested positive after a league match against Piacenza on 21 October.

Lazio's Dutch international Jaap Stam is also suspended after he tested positive for nandrolone earlier this month.

Christophe Dugarry is hoping to be back in action by the end of January. The striker was carried off the pitch during France's 1-1 draw with Australia on 11 November after suffering a knee injury in a tackle by Kevin Muscat.

"I have only one-and-a-half months left to wait," he said. "I have not done anything for two weeks, then in total it will be two months, with one month resting totally and the other shared between physiotherapy and training. I hope to be back for mid-January or at least the end of January."

The Bordeaux striker, who has played 12 European and League club games, scoring four goals, in the current campaign, is not angry at Muscat over the incident.

"I have experienced matches far more violent than the one against Australia and I was fine after them," he said. "The Australia game was an international one, there is no friendly game for Les Bleus, but I did not see the tackle coming.

"All my career has more or less been plagued by injuries, anyway. I experienced broken ribs, or hands, but not too many on my legs. I have hardly had any holiday since I have been regularly called up to play with the France team."