Russia says national team soccer player in FIFA doping case

MOSCOW (AP) - A Russian national team player is under investigation for doping by FIFA, according to the Russian government.

Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who is overseeing the government’s World Cup preparations, told state news agency Tass he has been informed FIFA is investigating Rubin Kazan defender Ruslan Kambolov.

Kambolov has played twice for Russia, once in 2015 and once in a June 2017 friendly against Chile. Mutko said the case was “not linked to the national team.”

There is also a FIFA investigation into Ivan Knyazev, a former defender with the Russia Under-21 team, Mutko said.

Both players “have given evidence and we’ll see where it goes,” Mutko said.

Asked about the Kambolov and Knyazev cases, FIFA said “it cannot comment on whether or not investigations are underway in relation to specific individuals.”