EXCLUSIVE - Top footballers available for drugs tests - WADA

By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS (Reuters) - The world's best soccer players are no exception to doping rules and are already available for testing throughout the year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Wednesday.

Rejecting criticism from FIFA over the 'whereabouts' rule, WADA said world soccer's governing body so far was in compliance with the code and there was no difference in the way the rule was interpreted.

Sources said WADA chief John Fahey in the coming days was due to meet FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has repeatedly rejected the rule and called WADA a "police" organisation.

"There is no discrepancy in what we are saying. FIFA are in compliance as we speak and there is no difference of opinion," WADA Director General David Howman told Reuters on the sidelines of a doping conference.

WADA dismissed allegations days ago the anti-doping agency had appeased FIFA by watering down its whereabouts rule, which requires athletes to give three months' notice of where they will be for an hour each day.

FIFA and European soccer body UEFA have pressed for changes, arguing the rule is unfair and should apply only to teams and not individual players.

"If a player is on holiday and not registered by the team then he can be put on the registered testing pool by his national anti-doping agency," said Howman.

He said the list of athletes included in the testing pool differed according to country and while WADA had no influence as to who was included in each country there was an understanding that whoever needed to be on the list should be added to it.