Real Madrid deny reports Sergio Ramos failed drug test for 2017 Champions League final

The Champions League holders have released a response to the claim Ramos failed a drug test

Real Madrid have denied their captain Sergio Ramos broke anti-doping rules prior to their 2017 Champions League final against Juventus at Wales' Millennium Stadium. A Football Leaks report, published by Der Spiegel on Friday, alleges the urine sample Ramos provided prior to the match tested positive for the banned substance dexamethasone. World Anti-Doping Agency rules allow the administration of the drug before matches, but only if it is reported by the team doctor - something the team failed to do on the night of their 4-1 win. Instead, the paperwork said the Spanish international had received an injection of the similarly regulated substance betamethasone in his shoulder and knee. However, UEFA did not investigate the matter as they accepted the Madrid team doctor's explanation that he had made an error in his report. "In the future, we ask you and your team doctor to be utmost cautious when completing the doping control form and more precisely the declaration of medication," a leaked letter from UEFA to the team read. In a statement released on Friday, a Real Madrid spokesperson said: "In relation to the information published by Der Spiegel referring to our captain Sergio Ramos, the club states the following: "Sergio Ramos has never breached anti-doping control regulations. "UEFA requested timely information and closed the matter immediately, as is usual in these cases, after verification by the experts from the World Anti-Doping Agency, AMA, and of UEFA itself. "Regarding the rest of the content of the aforementioned publication, the club will not address evidence of such an insubstantial nature."