Winner Sinner
Hall of Fame
Umberto Ferrara, former athletic trainer of Jannik Sinner and directly involved in the “Clostebol Case” that led to the n.1 testing positive in the anti-doping tests and therefore to accept a three-month suspension proposed by WADA for objective liability of his team, has given an interview for the first time in which he tells his version of the facts in detail. It is a very interesting contribution that reveals previously unpublished details of the affair, given that Sinner has never gone into detail. Ferrara spoke to the Gazzetta dello Sport reporting his version of the facts. These are the most significant passages of his thoughts on the matter.
“It was right to wait for the ruling of the competent bodies, which does not call into question my actions,” says Ferrara, now in Matteo Berrettini’s team. “I have suffered serious damage to my personal and professional reputation. Everyone has read articles or comments that reported the facts in a manner that did not conform to what was ascertained by the Independent Tribunal with the ruling of August 19.”
Ferrara confirms that he is fully aware of the risks of Trofodermin in terms of anti-doping. Why did he have it with him at Indian Wells? “I have been using it for years because it was prescribed by a specialist as a support drug for a chronic disease. I was perfectly aware of the ban and I have always kept it with the utmost caution, in my personal beauty case. I had it in the USA because I could have needed it for the disease and to have it available, being abroad.”
This is the most significant step, how the product came into the possession of Naldi, who in turn passed it on indirectly to Sinner. “I didn’t give anything to Naldi, I suggested using it because he had a cut on his finger that wasn’t healing and was making his job difficult. I was very clear in communicating to Naldi the nature of the product and the need for it not to come into contact with Jannik for any reason. In fact, I allowed its use only inside my personal bathroom. Naldi didn’t deny having been informed, but he said he didn’t remember.”
They ask Ferrara if he ever had any doubts that Naldi could have treated Jannik without gloves or without washing his hands thoroughly, given the risks: “Absolutely not, precisely because of the warnings I had given him and because of his skills”.
His reaction once the news of the positive result arrived: “Disbelief and amazement. Hearing about clostebol, the connection with Trofodermin was immediate. In a few hours we reconstructed the steps that led to Jannik’s contamination and I provided proof of the purchase of the spray at a pharmacy in Bologna”.
“I found the statements very balanced and I appreciated the fact that ITIA clarified that it had based its assessments on the advice provided by a legal team. With hindsight, it is easy to say that I would not do the same things again. I would certainly not rely on the behavior of others. I suffered from the superficiality, sometimes aggravated by bad faith, with which many people treated my position in the affair”
Ferrara thus responds to those who criticized Berrettini's choice to rely on him after the Sinner affair: “I am not surprised by the criticism, since it came from those same people (journalists and others) who treated the affair superficially. Matteo did his research and made the decisions he considered best. Did I feel demonized? Yes, very much. I had to note that someone chose to attack me, reporting facts and circumstances in a superficial way, deliberately ignoring the content of the Independent Court's ruling, which clearly determined the dynamics and responsibilities individuals".
“It was right to wait for the ruling of the competent bodies, which does not call into question my actions,” says Ferrara, now in Matteo Berrettini’s team. “I have suffered serious damage to my personal and professional reputation. Everyone has read articles or comments that reported the facts in a manner that did not conform to what was ascertained by the Independent Tribunal with the ruling of August 19.”
Ferrara confirms that he is fully aware of the risks of Trofodermin in terms of anti-doping. Why did he have it with him at Indian Wells? “I have been using it for years because it was prescribed by a specialist as a support drug for a chronic disease. I was perfectly aware of the ban and I have always kept it with the utmost caution, in my personal beauty case. I had it in the USA because I could have needed it for the disease and to have it available, being abroad.”
This is the most significant step, how the product came into the possession of Naldi, who in turn passed it on indirectly to Sinner. “I didn’t give anything to Naldi, I suggested using it because he had a cut on his finger that wasn’t healing and was making his job difficult. I was very clear in communicating to Naldi the nature of the product and the need for it not to come into contact with Jannik for any reason. In fact, I allowed its use only inside my personal bathroom. Naldi didn’t deny having been informed, but he said he didn’t remember.”
They ask Ferrara if he ever had any doubts that Naldi could have treated Jannik without gloves or without washing his hands thoroughly, given the risks: “Absolutely not, precisely because of the warnings I had given him and because of his skills”.
His reaction once the news of the positive result arrived: “Disbelief and amazement. Hearing about clostebol, the connection with Trofodermin was immediate. In a few hours we reconstructed the steps that led to Jannik’s contamination and I provided proof of the purchase of the spray at a pharmacy in Bologna”.
“I found the statements very balanced and I appreciated the fact that ITIA clarified that it had based its assessments on the advice provided by a legal team. With hindsight, it is easy to say that I would not do the same things again. I would certainly not rely on the behavior of others. I suffered from the superficiality, sometimes aggravated by bad faith, with which many people treated my position in the affair”
Ferrara thus responds to those who criticized Berrettini's choice to rely on him after the Sinner affair: “I am not surprised by the criticism, since it came from those same people (journalists and others) who treated the affair superficially. Matteo did his research and made the decisions he considered best. Did I feel demonized? Yes, very much. I had to note that someone chose to attack me, reporting facts and circumstances in a superficial way, deliberately ignoring the content of the Independent Court's ruling, which clearly determined the dynamics and responsibilities individuals".
, wait you said you didn't give it to him, and what did you guys do in your personal bathroom? )
