ZURICH - FIFA will sign up to the new worldwide code on doping before the end of May after winning the right for flexible sanctions for footballers who fail drugs tests.
Sepp Blatter, president of the sport's world governing body, said the revised World Anti-Doping Agency code would be signed once the final remaining issue of the 'whereabouts' information footballers had to provide was ironed out.
Individual athletes have to provide details of where they will be for one hour on five days of the week, but FIFA and other sports have argued this is not so easy for those involved in team sports.
Meetings with WADA officials, FIFA and other international team sports are taking place in Zurich over the weekend to try to resolve the issue.
Blatter, who met new WADA president John Fahey today, told a news conference FIFA had expressed their satisfaction at the inclusion of "more flexibility for sanctions in the revised code", and that he had signed a letter of intent to sign up to the new code.
He said: "There is more flexibility in this code - what is called individual case management.
"There are ongoing discussions on the 'whereabouts' between WADA and FIFA and the international team sports' federations.
"There is not yet a definite solution found but I promise before FIFA's Congress in May we will sign the new WADA code."
Fahey said the remaining issue about 'whereabouts' information was not a big problem.
He said: "There was a feeling among team sports, and FIFA was very vocal on this, that there were issues such as whereabouts that required further consultation and discussion but there is very little problem - it's about an outcome.
"We hope to achieve this outcome through discussions later today and tomorrow."
