Is Mannini and Possanzini ban correct?

I'm a close follower of SSC Napoli, and a big fan of left winger/wing back Daniele Mannini. So it's been an intriguing week reading about events from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mannini has been banned from playing competitive football for one year following a missed drugs test in December 2007.

Mannini missed the test along with colleague Davide Possanzini while playing for Brescia. Both were initially banned for 15 days by the Italian Olympic Committee, but the CAS inflicted a one-year ban on the pair on Thursday.

There was reportedly an argument between the players and the test officials which, somehow, led to the pair not being tested.

The ban has gone down badly in Italy, where this weekend's Serie A and Serie B games have all been delayed for 15 minutes because the players have been arriving late in an organised protest.

The protest has the full support of Associazione Italiana Calciatori (calcio's version of the PFA). The Italian FA has also backed the players, having cleared them of any wrongdoing, according to Serie A Talk.

In the same post, George Metellus explains how the ban became increased:

"Mannini & Possanzini were originally given 15 day bans by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI - Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano) for coming late to the drug test even though the Italian Football Association, (FGIC - Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio), cleared the duo of any wrongdoing. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stepped in and appealed to CAS for tougher sentences and got them."

So what are the rights and wrongs of this situation?

Mannini and Possanzini are clearly in the wrong. But so, in my view, are WADA and CAS. I'd be interested in knowing why they felt the need to get involved and arbitrate a situation that did not need arbitrating.

In any case, a year seems like a very long time considering the eight months meted out to Rio Ferdinand when he compounded the same offence with repeated lying.

On one hand, it is clearly important to ban drugs cheats, and missing tests is a very serious problem. However, does the fact that the pair's fellow professionals support them count for nothing?

In his statement, Mannini expresses his gratitude for the support he's received:

"I appreciate all the support I've received from the FIGC, Lega Calcio, Napoli, the chairman, president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis, and the Italian Footballer's Association. I am convinced it will help in the pursuit of this matter."

What do you think, folks? Should the CAS be interfering in this way, or is it right to ignore the wishes of the professional calcio fraternity?

(Photo: Just Napoli)