Press conference on the Carlos Gurpegi case

Jorge Caramés: He opens up the press conference by explaining that today, Friday, 26 November, at around 12:40 in the afternoon the notification on the subject of Carlos Gurpegi has been received from the National Court with an unfavorable outcome for the player. This decision is respected but not shared. The Judge has not focused on the basic problem. For the Judge there is nothing new on what was previously argued and there is nothing further from the truth. Many new tests have been contributed, especially the hair analysis of Carlos Gurpegi. This analysis, which was done at the Pasteur Institute by the prestigious Doctor Kint, does not have sufficient value for the Judge. According to the Judge, it is quite clear that the reason Gurpegi’s rate exceeds the allowed level, is due to him taking Nandrolone. The World Anti-Doping Code has rejected this premise, but for the Judge it is not valid. This whole subject is unbelievable for us and of course, we are going to appeal.

Sabino Padilla: Considering scientific arguments, the judgement is not correct, nor exact. Athletic Club has presented a series of tests to shed light on the subject, but it seems that the Judge has not wanted to consider them. Sabino Padilla wants to stress that the hair test done at the Pasteur Institute by Doctor Kint, proof that Carlos Gurpegi did not ingest Nandrolone, and stresses that this Doctor is the one in charge of testing all the participants of the Tour de France.

The President of the Club, Fernando Lamikiz, wants to make it very clear that Athletic Club accepts the judgement, but it does not share it and is going to appeal it. He also wants to stress that Carlos Gurpegi is a person and, as such, he has right to the presumption of innocence and requests that please, specially from the media, they do not make a parallel judgement on Carlos Gurpegi, as has been done at other places.

Carlos Gurpegi shows his deception by all of this. He worries for his family who is suffering in all of this, but also wants to make it quite clear that what comes first is the match against Racing of Santander.