"FIFA's medical commission will announce on Tuesday that it will accept the anti-doping code," Pound said at a press conference here.

FIFA have been opposed to the code mainly on the issue of the length of suspensions for any players who test positive.

However Pound affirmed that FIFA, who are under pressure to accept WADA's code ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Athens, would ratify the code once it had clarified the exact details of any suspensions.

"We've consulted with experts throughout the world and the overall opinion is that the anti-doping code is flexible enough to allow a two-year suspension, but also to be able to examine each case on an individual basis without the threat of an automatic ban," added Pound.

European football's governing body has already stepped up its fight against doping by increasing the number of tests by 30 percent this season, and UEFA will intensify the number of tests for next year's Euro 2004 finals in Portugal.

In the 2002-03 season, 396 players chosen from 99 games played under UEFA auspices underwent tests. All the results bar one were negative.

Recent positive tests for the banned steroid nandrolone have shown that doping is an issue in the sport - Inter Milan's Sierra Leone forward Mohammed Kallon is facing a ban after a second B sample tested positive for nandrolone last week.

In Copenhagen meanwhile the coach of the Danish national team, Morten Olsen, told AFP Tuesday he was in favour of the introduction of random test on players.

"Sportsmen should compete on a level playing field and should not be using artificial means to improve their performances," said Olsen, who was clarifying remarks made earlier in the day which he said were misinterpreted by a television channel.

Olsen, who was credited with saying there was little need to combat doping in football, added: "I'm in favour of random tests being carried out before matches but on both teams involved, not just one.

"All I wanted to say was that we shouldn't get carried away and start pulling players out of their beds at four o'clock in the morning, otherwise we start spending more time on testing players than actucally preparing matches."

Danish football federation (DBU) president Allan Hansen said doping was not an issue in Denmark.

"Danish football is exempt from doping," said Hansen, who said that UEFA's efforts to increase tests at the Euro 2004 had his "complete support".

He added: "All of our international players must undergo anti-doping tests and the DBU has even asked the Danish anti-doping agency to test all our international squad from now up until the European FIFA accept new code

AFP, Montreal

WADA president Dick Pound said Tuesday that football's world governing body FIFA is finally set to accept the World Anti-Doping Agency's new anti-doping code.

"FIFA's medical commission will announce on Tuesday that it will accept the anti-doping code," Pound said at a press conference here.

FIFA have been opposed to the code mainly on the issue of the length of suspensions for any players who test positive.

However Pound affirmed that FIFA, who are under pressure to accept WADA's code ahead of next year's Olympic Games in Athens, would ratify the code once it had clarified the exact details of any suspensions.

"We've consulted with experts throughout the world and the overall opinion is that the anti-doping code is flexible enough to allow a two-year suspension, but also to be able to examine each case on an individual basis without the threat of an automatic ban," added Pound.

European football's governing body has already stepped up its fight against doping by increasing the number of tests by 30 percent this season, and UEFA will intensify the number of tests for next year's Euro 2004 finals in Portugal.

In the 2002-03 season, 396 players chosen from 99 games played under UEFA auspices underwent tests. All the results bar one were negative.

Recent positive tests for the banned steroid nandrolone have shown that doping is an issue in the sport - Inter Milan's Sierra Leone forward Mohammed Kallon is facing a ban after a second B sample tested positive for nandrolone last week.

In Copenhagen meanwhile the coach of the Danish national team, Morten Olsen, told AFP Tuesday he was in favour of the introduction of random test on players.

"Sportsmen should compete on a level playing field and should not be using artificial means to improve their performances," said Olsen, who was clarifying remarks made earlier in the day which he said were misinterpreted by a television channel.

Olsen, who was credited with saying there was little need to combat doping in football, added: "I'm in favour of random tests being carried out before matches but on both teams involved, not just one.

"All I wanted to say was that we shouldn't get carried away and start pulling players out of their beds at four o'clock in the morning, otherwise we start spending more time on testing players than actucally preparing matches."

Danish football federation (DBU) president Allan Hansen said doping was not an issue in Denmark.

"Danish football is exempt from doping," said Hansen, who said that UEFA's efforts to increase tests at the Euro 2004 had his "complete support".

He added: "All of our international players must undergo anti-doping tests and the DBU has even asked the Danish anti-doping agency to test all our international squad from now up until the European