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Man City's Toure fails drugs test; Ferguson charged over ref comments

An 'A sample' provided by Ivory Coast and Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has tested positive for a banned substance.
An 'A sample' provided by Ivory Coast and Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has tested positive for a banned substance.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Manchester City ban defender Kolo Toure after he tests positive for drugs
  • Ivorian international could receive a warning or face up to a two-year ban from football
  • Alex Ferguson charged by FA for comments he made about referee Martin Atkinson
  • Manchester United manager lashed out at Atkinson after EPL defeat to Chelsea

(CNN) -- Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure has been suspended by his club Manchester City after testing positive for a banned substance.

The 29-year-old, who joined City from English Premier League rivals Arsenal in 2009, learned of his failed drugs test from the English Football Association (FA) on Thursday.

"Manchester City confirm that the FA has informed Kolo Toure that an 'A-sample' provided by him has tested positive for a specified substance," a statement published on the club's official website read.

It continued: "As result of this, he has been suspended from participating in all first team and non-first team matches pending the outcome of the legal process.

"There will be no further comment from the football club at this stage."

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency a specified substance is one which could have "a credible, non-doping explanation." Punishments for a positive test range from a warning to a two-year ban from sport.

Toure has been suspended from participating in all matches pending the outcome of the legal process
--Manchester City statement
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Toure has made more than 50 appearances for City and was captain of the side last season. He is contracted at the club -- where his younger brother Yaya also plays -- until 2013.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, leaders Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has been charged with improper conduct by the FA over comments he made about referee Martin Atkinson on Tuesday

Following United's 2-1 league defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge Ferguson told MUTV: "I must say, when I saw who the referee was I feared it. I feared the worst.

He added: "You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway -- and we didn't get that."

The Scot criticized Atkinson for not sending off Chelsea goalscorer David Luiz for fouls on Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, as well as for awarding what proved to be a decisive penalty late in the match.

Ferguson already has a suspended two-game touchline ban hanging over him from 2009 when he said that Alan Wiley was not physically fit enough to referee in the Premier League.

A statement on the FA website stated that Ferguson has until next Tuesday to respond to the charge.