Argentine football stars among new ‘Fancy Bears’ 2010 World Cup drug exemption list

Five Argentina internationals are among the latest list published by hacker group Fancy Bears of footballers using exemption forms at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

A total 25 players have been named in the list, published Tuesday, to have received Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) or Declaration of Use (DoU) forms from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to take banned substances at the tournament.

Argentina feature the most players in the list, which marks out footballers from 12 nations that took part in the 2010 tournament. Current World Cup holders Germany have the second most with four. 

La Albiceleste stars Juan Verón, Carlos Tevez, Gabriel Heinze and Walter Samuel each received a DoU to take the steroid betamethasone, while striker Diego Milito was issued a TUE to take formoterol, a drug used to treat asthma, as well as DoUs for three other banned substances.

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Other notable players included in the list are former Italy duo Mauro Camoranesi, who received a TUE for triamcinolone, and Vincenzo Iaquinta, who also received a betamethasone DoU.

Former Liverpool player Dirk Kuyt also featured in the list. Kuyt was on the losing side in the tournament’s final match, which Spain won 1-0 with an extra-time goal from Andres Iniesta.