A leading official from the World Anti-Doping Agency has said the organisation will seek to have Rio Ferdinand's ban for missing a drugs test increased.
The Manchester United defender is considering whether to appeal the eight-month suspension imposed by the Football Association - set to begin on January 20th -after he missed a random test at the club's training ground on September 23rd.
Denmark's sports minister Brian Mikkelson, a member of the WADA executive committee, has called for Ferdinand's case to be examined by the Court of Arbitration in Sport, in Switzerland, and for the England international's ban to be lengthened.
"It is a solid case and our goal would be to raise Ferdinand's ban to two years," Mikkeleson told the Daily Express.
"His sentence is too mild. The same rules that apply in other sports should also apply in football. I am going to contact the other members of WADA and we will make sure the case goes all the way to the Court of Arbitration in Sport."
PA