ZURICH — FIFA plans to use biological profiling of players at this year's Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup in its efforts to tackle doping, soccer's governing body Friday. "FIFA is developing plans to introduce this new tool, including a steroid profile through urine and a blood profile, for the Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup Brazil, where in and out-of-competition tests would be conducted on all participating players," FIFA said in a statement. FIFA began a pilot project in 2011 to capture players' individual steroid profile with tests on the participants at the World Club Cup in Japan. It said that 178 out-of-competition tests were conducted in 2011 and 184 at the same tournament in 2012. FIFA added that it was developing the hormonal profiling project, a new initiative in co-operation with the WADA-accredited laboratory in Switzerland. "FIFA was the first international organization for team sport to start with longitudinal profiles," said Michel D'Hooge, head of FIFA's medical committee. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey met his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on Thursday and said he was satisfied with FIFA's efforts. Confederations Cup prize money announced FIFA will pay $4.1 million in prize money to the Confederations Cup winner, and Tahiti is guaranteed $1.7 million from the June 15-30 tournament. FIFA says $20 million in total prize money will be shared among eight teams playing in the World Cup warm-up event in Brazil. The prize fund was $17.6 million at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. There, Brazil got $3.75 million for winning. FIFA says the beaten finalist will receive $3.6 million; the third-place team earns $3 million and the fourth-place team gets $2.5 million. Four teams not advancing from the groups each make $1.7 million. The lineup of continental champions is: Host Brazil, World Cup and European champion Spain, Euro 2012 runner-up Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Tahiti and Uruguay. Tougher sanctions for racist abuse FIFA aims to approve tougher sanctions for racist abuse at football matches when its 209 member nations meet in May. FIFA President Sepp Blatter led a meeting Friday of its Strategic Committee, which included UEFA President Michel Platini and discussed combatting racism and match-fixing. Blatter has previously said that points deductions and relegation punishments are needed as disciplinary options to help tackle discrimination at matches. When FIFA judged abuse cases against Hungary and Bulgaria last month, both countries were ordered to play their next home World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium and pay fines. "I am very pleased with the ideas that have evolved today and look forward to the deliberations with the Executive Committee," Blatter said in a statement. He will lead that FIFA board meeting on March 20-21. "The aim is to present to the FIFA Congress in Mauritius (on May 31) concrete actions, as well as strong sanctions, which will really have an impact." UEFA signaled its dissatisfaction with the current level of disciplinary sanctions by asking its appeal panel to consider tougher punishments for Serbia after a volatile under-21 match against England in October. — Agencies
