World anti-doping chiefs have criticised football’s ruling powers over their opposition to testing players while at home and on holiday and claimed their attitude is playing into the hands of drugs cheats.

Fifa and Uefa have both expressed their strong opposition to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) ‘whereabouts’ rule, where sports stars have to register their location for an hour each day.

The football bodies say players’ locations are known - either at training grounds or matches - for six out of seven days and it would be an invasion of privacy to subject them to tests during their holidays.

Wada’s president John Fahey today hit back saying: “One of the key principles of efficient doping control is the surprise effect and the possibility to test an athlete without advance notice on a 365-day basis.

“Alleging, as Fifa and Uefa do, that testing should only take place at training grounds and not during holiday periods, ignores the reality of doping in sport.

“Experience has demonstrated that athletes who cheat seize every opportunity to do so and dope when they believe they won’t be tested. Some substances and methods disappear quickly from the body while keeping their performance-enhancing effects.”

The Australian added: “Anti-doping organisations must therefore be able to test athletes at all times in an intelligent fashion.

“Wada stakeholders have recognised this reality, and the feedback we have received from the overwhelming majority of other sports, but also from athletes and all those who support doping-free sport, strongly contradicts Fifa’s and Uefa’s stance.”

Wada said they were “surprised and concerned” to read the statement issued by Fifa and Uefa yesterday in relation to rules that should have come into effect on January 1st this year.