Midfielder Deco cleared of doping

Former Portugal international midfielder Deco is set to sue authorities for damages after being cleared of doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Deco was banned for a year last September by Brazil's Superior Sports Justice Tribunal after being found guilty of taking diuretic furosemide while playing for Fluminense.

But a review of the sample by the dope testing facility in Lausanne, Switzerland, found Rio de Janeiro laboratory Ladetec made an error in its original analysis, Xinhua quoted Brazilian daily O Globo as saying Saturday.

"We are looking at the best way possible to claim damages," Deco's lawyer Marcos Motta said.

"He had a great career but ended up having to retire being dubbed a drug cheat. Deco has always maintained that he never used any illegal substance."

Ladetec, which belongs to the state-owned Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, was last August stripped of its status as the official testing facility for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

According to global anti-doping agency Wada, the decision came after the laboratory failed to meet minimum standards.

Motta said legal action would be taken against Ladetec, the Brazilian government and Wada.

"Ladetec belongs to the government and was accredited by Wada so they all have some responsibility," Motta said.

Deco, 36, is one of only nine players to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs: Porto and Barcelona.

He joined Fluminense from Chelsea in 2010 and helped the club to two Brazilian Serie A titles in three years.