GENEVA -- Lawyers for Russia defender Ruslan Kambolov have said FIFA closed an investigation into suspected doping, eight weeks before the World Cup begins.
FIFA terminated the case because of a "lack of evidence of such violations," Moscow-based law firm Sila said in a statement on its website.
FIFA declined to comment Friday on the announcement, which included Sila publishing an apparent letter it received by email Thursday from the football body's anti-doping manager.
The investigation against Kambolov was revealed in February by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko. He said it was not linked to the national team.
FIFA opened the case after the World Anti-Doping Agency provided many international sports bodies with evidence of suspected Russian doping and cover-ups by state authorities over several years.
The sources of the evidence include a WADA-appointed investigation led by Richard McLaren, whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, and a database of testing information from the Moscow laboratory which Rodchenkov led. He later fled to the United States and is in a witness protection program.
