Manchester City fine Kolo Toure for failed drugs test

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has been fined six weeks’ wages by the club over his failed drugs test. Toure was banned for six months in May, back-dated to 2 March, after he tested positive for a prohibited substance. The Ivory Coast international, 30, has played five games since returning from the ban in September. A City statement read: “Kolo accepts the decision and he and the club now wish to draw a line under this matter and focus on the season ahead.”; Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor previously said the club’s disciplinary hearing into Toure’s failed test had “shocked”; the former Arsenal centre-back. “It just seems strange that, after being welcomed back to the club and reinstated as captain for Carling Cup matches, that someone has come up with this hearing,”; stated Taylor. “Instead of sending out a message that this is someone who has made a mistake and served his punishment already, they are now taking action against him again. “It seems very strange against someone who is acknowledged by all concerned to have a top-class character. “He trained every day while he was off and maintained a very positive attitude so he was shocked to find they were looking to take action against him.”; Toure produced character references from his former club Arsenal and a number of fellow players at the hearing, which was held by City football administrator Brian Marwood and a club lawyer. City insist the PFA knew the disciplinary hearing had not been arranged recently. Chief communications officer Vicky Kloss said: “It is not a new decision – we had consultations with the PFA about this in July.”; It is understood the hearing had been postponed on a number of previous occasions due to people involved being unavailable. Toure himself was in the Ivory Coast during the close-season. Toure was found guilty of taking a banned substance after testing positive in February, although he claimed it was an error on his part after he had taken his wife’s diet tablets. The PFA intervened in Manchester City’s hearing into Carlos Tevez’s conduct during the Bayern Munich match, halving a fine from four to two weeks’ wages. City manager Roberto Mancini had earlier commented that Toure would remain in contention for selection because it had been an unintentional error. The Italian said: “Kolo is a different situation. It was a mistake – a totally different situation. “In the other case I think that every player should have good behaviour, always.”;