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FIFA chiefs reject Pound criticism
 WADA president Pound pointed his finger at FIFA over the doping code ZURICH, Switzerland -- FIFA said Tuesday it disagreed with WADA over automatic two-year bans for first-time doping offenders, referring the issue for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide. The ban would be legally problematic "because it could be reduced only under very limited circumstances and it does not take into account the extent of the offender's guilt," said a FIFA statement. The statement noted that WADA president Dick Pound said at an IOC meeting last July that all 35 Olympic sports federations met the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code. FIFA said that in September its congress had amended its statutes and disciplinary code. FIFA has "done everything in its power to amend its disciplinary code and statutes so as to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said. On Monday, Pound said the changes were insufficient and he criticized FIFA approaching CAS. "To our great surprise and considerable disappointment, we learned indirectly this week that FIFA has submitted its own question to CAS and that they refuse to share with WADA any information whatsoever about this submission," Pound said. "It is an unfortunate course of conduct for FIFA. "We want to make sure that we do the right thing because, if we are forced to confirm the declaration of noncompliance, this will have serious consequences for football and governments." Pound added that he hoped for a quick CAS ruling ahead of next year's World Cup finals in Germany. 
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