Mamadou Sakho: Uefa drop doping case against Liverpool defender

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will not face any further proceedings in the anti-doping violation after Uefa confirmed the case against the player has been dismissed on 8 July, Friday.

The 26-year-old was handed an initial 30-day suspension in April while Uefa were investigating his doping violation. He was tested positive for a "fat burner" after the Merseyside club's victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Europa League clash in March.

Uefa's initial investigation was to find out whether the substance Sakho consumed was on their banned list. The governing body on Friday confirmed the case against the France international has been dismissed.

A Uefa statement said, "The independent UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) met in Paris and has reached a decision relating to the proceedings instigated against Liverpool FC player Mamadou Sakho, following the UEFA Europa League round of 16 second-leg match between Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC (1-1), played on 17 March 2016."

"The proceedings against Mr. Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA Anti-Doping Regulations after the player failed a doping test at the above-mentioned match. Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the WADA-accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB has decided to dismiss the case."

His ban saw him miss out on Liverpool's end of the season fixtures and also the Europa League final defeat to Sevilla. In addition to this, the defender was also omitted from France's Euro 2016 squad, where Didier Deschamps' side have reached the final. They will take on Portugal on 10 July. Sakho expressed his delight after Uefa's verdict confirmed that he did not commit any doping violation.

"I am happy that this is finally over. It's been a difficult time for me but I knew I had done nothing wrong. I am looking forward to getting back in the team and playing again," Sakho told Liverpool's official website.