Beijing Zhang Shuai, Beijing Hyndai defender, became the first Chinese footballer to be banned by club for testing positive for the banned substance ephedrine. This was also the first doping case in China's professional football league.

Zhang Shuai tested positive in a random test last week and failed the confirmation test too and was handed a three-month ban by his club, the China Football Association (CFA) said Monday.

"We have received the result of the B sample test on Zhang Shuai and it is positive," a CFA spokesman said.

"We hope all Chinese football clubs, coaches and players learn from this painful lesson. We have not made any decision on what action to take."

Zhang was fined 6,000 US dollars, and his coach, team manager and doctor were also fined.

The 22-year-old player, who was a prospect for China's Olympic team, had claimed his innocence by saying he accidentally took the substance for a remedy to his cold.

"I feel extremely repentant now. I should have asked the doctor before taking the pills. But I never thought of the result after I took the drug test," he told in a statement to the CFA.

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