Juventus defender and Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has lashed out at the press after he was officially cleared of any wrongdoing over a failed drugs test.

Cannavaro tested positive for the banned substance cortisone after taking a medicine to treat an insect sting in August.

The Italy captain had requested an exemption from taking drugs tests, on the grounds of having taken a medication in an emergency situation, but failed to include a document necessary to complete the application.

The national anti-doping tribunal have now dropped the case, as expected, after it was recommended by the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor on Saturday, and Cannavaro has lambasted the media for making a mountain out of a molehill.

"It really annoys me. And in case you didn't understand properly I'll repeat that, it really annoys me," he raged.

"I have a clean conscience.

"Someone gets stung by a bee and finds themselves in the paper as if they were a drug user.

"When it happened I thought I was dreaming. Some newspapers and television stations really exaggerated."

It is not the first time Cannavaro has been at the centre of a drugs controversy.

In 1999 the then Parma defender was filmed the night before the Uefa Cup final injecting himself with a substance - later proved to be the legal drug neoton.

"This is the second time I find myself in the paper for stories of this sort," continued Cannavaro. "That time it was really stupid of me to let myself be filmed, even if the substance was not illegal.

"This time there was stupidity on Juve's part but it all seems exaggerated to me.

"I hope these doubts don't follow me beyond today, my career has been exemplary and I have always followed the rules."

Cannavaro missed the 2-2 draw with the Republic of Ireland on Saturday through suspension, but will be available for Italy's final world cup qualifier at home to Cyprus on Wednesday.