Gurpegi wins temporary reprieve

Athletic appeal
The Spanish Committee for Sports Discipline (CEDD) said on Friday that the ban would be lifted as a result of a successful appeal by the Basque club. Gurpegi has always denied taking any banned substance.

Positive test
The latest ruling means that the 22-year-old will be free to play in Sunday's Primera División home match against Club Atlético de Madrid. Gurpegi gave the positive test for nandrolone in the first game of the season on 1 September.

Two years
Earlier this week, the Spanish press reported that the judge investigating the case had recommended that the player should be suspended for two years. Athletic responded by saying that the deadline to present all the evidence about the case had not yet expired.

Gurpegi ban
The Basque club have consistently complained about the way the case has been handled by the authorities and last week Athletic president Javier Uria resigned his post as spokesman for the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in protest. Gurpegi was originally suspended by the RFEF on 15 February pending a final decision on a sanction.

University studies
Athletic officials said last month that studies the club had commissioned from the University of Extremadura showed that the player produced the substance naturally and had not taken it from an external source.

Match stats
They explained that tests had been carried out on the player before and after a league match against Real Valladolid at the end of December that showed levels of the substance had changed significantly as a result of physical exercise.