MADRID (AFP) — French newspaper Le Monde and one of its journalists were handed a court order here on Tuesday to pay 300,000 euros in damages to Barcelona football club after the paper published a defamatory article on alleged doping practices at the Catalan club.
Le Monde and journalist Stephane Mandard have also been ordered to publish the court's decision in both the newspaper and its internet site, Barcelona football club added, saying Le Monde has also been told to correct the information in the way demanded by Barcelona football club in December 2006.
Later Le Monde said they would appeal the decision. The newspaper's assistant director Laurent Greilsamer told AFP it was a "completely excessive judgement."
Barcelona sued the newspaper in December 2006 for having claimed there was a link between the club and Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who was at the centre of a blood-doping network which scandalised the world of professional cycling.
In the December 8 2006 edition of Le Monde, the newspaper said that, apart from cycling, there were also four Spanish football clubs linked with Fuentes, including both Barcelona and Real Madrid. The clubs fiercely denied the accusations and Real Madrid also sued Le Monde.
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