Brandon Miele has been handed a two-year ban for failing to submit an adequate sample to anti-doping officers.
The former Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick's Athletic striker was found to be in violation of Article 2.3 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules - "without compelling justification, refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection after notification as authorised under these Rules or other anti-doping rules."
The ban came into effect as of September 9th, 2019.
The incident in question happened after St. Pats' 2-1 win over Sligo Rovers in the SSE Airtrcity Premier Division at Richmond Park on April 19th of 2019. Miele was an unused substitute that night.
Miele was signed alongside Mikey Drennan ahead of the Saints' 2019 campaign by then manager Harry Kenny.
Pat's noted Miele's ban "with regret", adding, "Brandon did not train with the club since the beginning of May and tendered his resignation on June 6th, 2019 which was accepted.
The 25-year-old's final involvement for St Pat's was as an unused substitute in their April 29th defeat to his former club, Shamrock Rovers.
In their statement, Sport Ireland says they also alleged Miele had committed an act of "tampering or attempting to tamper" with part of doping control, however, the Panel found that Sport Ireland didn't establish the case to the satisfaction of the adjudicatory panel.
Through the PFAI, Miele says on the night in question he had already urinated twice during the course of the match and found it difficult to provide a sample afterwards.
Statement from Brandon Miele in relation to Sport Ireland verdict. pic.twitter.com/P8qQ8TjECt
— PFA Ireland (@PFAIOfficial) January 7, 2020
He adds, "While trying to do so [provide a sample], I was informed by my partner Sinead, that my daughter had fallen and hit her head.
"Over a period of two hours while attempting to comply with the requirements of the testers, my partner became increasingly concerned about the health of my daughter and contacted me continuously to ask me to return to care for her.
Miele says it became apparent that he would need to leave the testing centre to be with his daughters "who has a history of health problems".
He adds that after two hours of trying everything - including drinking copious amounts and walking on cold floors in bare feet - he was only able to provide a partial sample.
The Sport Ireland ruling notes Miele's "desire to be with his family and daughter and does not in the opinion of the panel constitute a manifest disregard of the potential anti-doping violation".
Miele believes the 2-year sanction is "very severe" given the dilemma he faced, and "having regard to lesser bans for people who have been found guilty of taking a banned substance", but he will accept the decision of the panel.
