City blasted by PFA chief Taylor over ‘strange’ Toure disciplinary hearing
PLAYERS’ chief Gordon Taylor has labelled Manchester City’s decision to hold a disciplinary hearing with Kolo Toure over his failed drugs test as “strange”.
Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, attended the hearing with Toure this afternoon and the outcome of the gross misconduct charge is expected later this week.
Toure, who has served a six-month ban imposed by the FA, produced character references from his former club Arsenal and a number of fellow players at the hearing.
He insists he tested positive because he took one of his wife’s slimming pills, not knowing it contained a banned substance. Taylor said the six-month ban was punishment enough, but City insist the PFA knew about the charge as far back as July.
Taylor said: “We have had the hearing today and we presented the fact that the FA could have given him two years but only gave him six months.
“It just seems strange that after being welcomed back to the club, reinstated as captain for Carling Cup matches, that someone has come up with this hearing.
“Instead of sending out a message that this is someone who has made a mistake and served his punishment already, they are now taking action against him again.”