Mutu will accept FA ban: lawyer

LONDON (AFP) — Sacked Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has said he will accept any punishment imposed by the Football Association (FA) for drugs offences but is set to take legal action following reports his lawyers say have exaggerated the extent of his substance abuse.

The 25-year-old Romanian international striker, who joined Chelsea from Italian club Parma for 15.8 million pounds in 2003 had his contract terminated by the London side on Friday for failing a drugs test but said he'd been suffering from personal problems.

However, the way in which his departure had been reported in some sections of the media prompted his lawyer, Graham Atkins, to issue a statement.

"Suggestions in the press that he had taken this substance just before playing football or that he played with it in his system are completely untrue.

"So too are the reports of his criticism of Chelsea ...