World sport's top court on Wednesday suspended controversial bans against two Italian soccer players, Brescia striker David Possanzini and Napoli's former Brescia winger Daniele Mannini.
The Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal by the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC), allowing the two players to return to action this weekend.
The one-year bans, for showing up late for a dope test when both played for Serie B outfit Brescia in 2007, sparked an outcry in Italian soccer.
In January the Italian footballers union, AIC, staged a 15-minute delay to weekend play to protest the allegedly heavy-handed penalties.
FIGC appealed to CAS against what it said were ''excessive'' bans.
FIGC chief Giancarlo Abete said the bans were inflicted for ''what was really a logistical problem'' while AIC voiced ''dismay and indignation'' at the ''disproportionate'' penalty.
Brescia's coach at the time of the game against Chievo in December 2007, Serse Cosmi, said he was ''certain that nothing was done to dodge the doping test''.
''My feeling is that (the CAS) decided to strike two weak links to set an example,'' said Cosmi.
Brescia Chairman Gino Corioni said the players were delayed because of his decision to read the riot act to the team after the 3-0 home defeat.
As a result, he repeated, the pair missed the half-hour deadline for submitting samples.
Corioni stressed that a doping official, whose job it is not to lose sight of the chosen players, was invited into the locker room but declined.
''The two lads didn't do anything wrong, it isn't fair''.
Napoli General Manager Pierpaolo Marini called the verdict ''a colossal injustice'' and said the team, whose recent poor run has taken it out of Serie A's top four and led to the appointment of ex-Italy coach Roberto Donadoni in place of sacked Edy Reja, would suffer from Mannini's absence.
