Wales appeal over Titov's failed drugs test

Wales are hoping to secure a place at Euro 2004 after lodging a protest with Uefa, the European governing body, in the wake of the Russian international Igor Titov's positive drugs test.

Titov tested positive for bromantan following the first leg of their Euro 2004 play-off against Wales in November. The game in Moscow ended 0-0 with the Russians claiming a place in Portugal courtesy of their 1-0 win in Cardiff. But the Football Association of Wales believes it could be awarded a 3-0 win in the first match - the standard score for a walkover - if Uefa finds in its favour, and thus secure a 3-1 aggregate win.

Uefa has already stated that the FAW is unlikely to succeed, and the Welsh body's chief executive, David Collins, said: "There's a lot of legal process to go through. Our fans fully appreciate that and are not counting chickens just yet."

Relations between the Welsh and the Russians were already strained after the latter attempted unsuccessfully to ensure that Ryan Giggs was banned for the second leg for elbowing Vadim Evseev in the first match.