Luis Mira at Goal.com
Former Fulham shot stopper Ricardo Batista has been given a hefty ban after tests revealed a banned substance in his system while being out on loan last season
Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Ricardo Batista has been handed a two-year ban after testing positive for a controlled substance, the Portuguese league's Disciplinary Commission has announced.
The custodian failed a routine drugs test which took place after a league match between Olhanense, the club he was loaned out to last season, and Academica Coimbra in January.
The Disciplinary Commission added that the ban is back-dated to April 8, when Batista's provisional suspension began.
Batista, 24, joined Sporting from Fulham in 2008, but he has failed to earn a place in the club's first team since his arrival.
The Portugal Under-21 international, who has a contract with Sporting until the end of the season, can now appeal the ban to the Portuguese Football Federation.