LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has owned up to taking cocaine in an apparent attempt to escape a lengthy ban.
The Romanian accepted a positive test for cocaine and declined a follow-up test, the head of the English players' trade union, Gordon Taylor, said Tuesday.
The 25-year-old met representatives of the Professional Footballers' Association on Monday, where he made his intention clear to forego his right to a counter-analysis of the original test which proved positive for the banned drug.
"He will not be going ahead with the second test. He has tested positive for cocaine," said Taylor.
"There will be a hearing at the Football Association, which we hope can be held as quickly as possible to get the matter dealt with," he added.
By pleading guilty, Mutu could escape with a minimum six month ban.
Mutu, reported to earn three million pounds a year, cost Chelsea 15.8 million pounds when he was signed from Parma a year ago.
But Chelsea were believed to be ready to write off the investment.
When Chelsea's Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich failed a test for cocaine two years ago, his 2.5 million-pound-a-year deal was terminated.
Mutu, now reconciled with his divorced wife Alexandra, was fined two weeks wages for claiming Jose Mourinho was a liar when the Chelsea manager tried to prevent him from playing for Romania in a World Cup qualifying match.
The playboy striker, who has a degree in law, was often in scrapes.
In May he became embroiled in a newspaper sting in Bucharest when, along with other footballers, he was caught having sex with a porn star.
And in September he was involved in a 4am car chase through the streets of Bucharest after refusing to hand his driving licence to police.
He received a three-month ban and a doctor then advised him to visit a mental health specialist.
He scored the winner on his debut against Leicester City last season followed by six in his first five games, but then the goals started to dry up and his personal problems were clearly affecting him and he finished the season with 10 goals.
Unsurprisingly, when Mourinho arrived in July he told Mutu to curb his womanising and stop partying.
He obviously failed to heed the warning.
Former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri said of him: "Mutu had all the skills and flair, but to win championships things have to be right between the ears."