A satirical story about the Netherlands continuing in the World Cup despite a doping scandal is fake, but continues to receive heavy sharing on social media.
The fake article was posted by the satirical website National Report. In the fake story, we read that The Netherlands’ World Cup victory over Spain was tainted by the discovery that several members of the team tested positive for doping. The story further contends that FIFA fined the players, but allowed them to continue playing.
Despite the fact that the story is fiction, it has received heavy sharing on social media by outraged readers unaware of the “satirical” nature of National Report.
About National Report
National Report has a disclaimer which states that the website produces satirical content. The disclaimer – which has been removed (or moved) on several occasions – begins:
*DISCLAIMER: National Report is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways.
FIFA Doping
The New York Times reported on June 20, 2014 that “So far in this World Cup, not a single player has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.” The Times also points out that the last time a player tested positive at this event was 20 years ago.
Bottom Line
The story that the Netherlands was continuing in the World Cup despite a doping scandal is not true. It was posted by the satire/fake news website National Report. No legitimate news sources have corroborated the statements made by the fake article, and the New York times reported this week that there have been no doping cases at the World Cup since 1994.