UEFA has intensified the fight against doping in football – and is working in accordance with the motto 'one positive case is one case too many'.

Any player participating in a UEFA competition may be required not only to undergo a doping control after a match, but also to undergo out-of-competition controls. No advance information is given as to when controls will take place. The video above shows what happens during an anti-doping control.

To illustrate the breadth of UEFA's work in this area, in the 2011/12 season it tested more than 2,200 players in its competitions. There were 284 players tested in connection with the EURO 2012 final tournament, 776 players tested in the UEFA Champions League (456 of them were tested out-of-competition), 572 players in the UEFA Europa League, and almost 600 in other competitions including futsal, women and youth tournaments.

An accompanying education programme is aimed especially at young players. Instructive sessions on anti-doping are conducted during final tournaments of all UEFA youth competitions. Educational material distributed to players helps to raise their awareness, informs about UEFA's anti-doping regulations and procedures, and prevents from committing procedural errors.

A web-based interactive platform (Training Ground) is also available online. The content is adapted to a visitor's profile (10-12 years old, 13-15 years old, 16+, coach/doctor) and covers different anti-doping topics.

Anti-doping activities are administered within UEFA by the Competitions division under director Giorgio Marchetti and advised by experts composing the Anti-Doping Panel.