Investigation against handball goalkeeper Nikola Portner dropped on suspicion of anti-doping law violation

The criminal investigation against handball goalkeeper Nikola Portner on suspicion of a violation of the anti-doping law has been closed by the Magdeburg public prosecutor's office. This was announced by SC Magdeburg on Monday via its lawyer Professor Rainer Tarek Cherkeh. "According to the public prosecutor's office, there were no indications that the accused had violated the Anti-Doping Act or the Narcotics Act," the Champion League winner's statement reads. Accordingly, the investigation was terminated due to a lack of suspicion.

Information on the opening of the B sample is now expected shortly after methamphetamines were discovered in the Swiss player during a positive in-competition test. Methamphetamines are synthetically produced substances known colloquially as crystal meth. "Criminal law and sports law are two different approaches. That is of course a different way of looking at it," said spokeswoman Eva Bunthoff from the National Anti Doping Agency Germany (Nada) to the German Press Agency on Monday.

"According to current knowledge, the measured concentration level is a fraction of a typical intake of this substance," Cherkeh had previously announced. The club and the presidium of the Handball Bundesliga have suspended Portner for the time being until the matter has been finally clarified.