Celta Vigo midfielder Everton Giovanella has received a two-year ban after testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.

The Spanish Soccer Federation made the announcement on Wednesday after its Competitions Committee accepted the initial decision by lawyer Jose Luis Carretero who was investigating the case.

But the 35-year-old Brazilian has protested his innocence, denying that he intentionally took any drug and claiming he had produced the substance naturally.

He said that if necessary he would go to court to prove his innocence and Celta will also ask for the ban to be provisionally lifted while they appeal against the decision.

Giovanella tested positive for a metabolite of the steroid nandrolone in December 2004 after a second division match against Pontevedra, recording a level of 3.7 nanograms per litre of 19-norandrosterone. The permitted limit is two nanograms.

But Celta argued that a study by the Word Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suggested urine samples can generate high levels of 19-norandrosterone if they are not properly stored.

Athletic Bilbao midfielder Carlos Gurpegi tested positive for 19-norandrosterone in 2002 but has not yet received a definitive sanction after taking the case to court.

Source: Xinhua