Barcelona wins suit again Le Monde

iainf72

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22666353/

Phew- Footballers don't take drugs.

andyp

iainf72 wrote:

Phew- Footballers don't take drugs.

Just recreational ones. :?

jimmythecuckoo

Forgive me if this is an in appropriate comment, but I cannot believe that the level of pace, power and energy in football nowadays isn't aided by athletes being "professional".

Kléber

Possibly, but remember a lot of them are eating full breakfasts and drinking vast quantities of alcohol, yet still banging in goals. Notions like real fitness, health and diet seem a novelty to many. Why dope a footballer when you can give him muesli for breakfast and fruit juice to drink in the evenings?

But just google the details on Juventus, or Chelsea's "blood spinning" techniques, some are using more than muesli.

squired

I wouldn't be surprised if things are going on at the very top level. Having said that, I had a next door neighbour who was a premiership player for a few years (mid-table team). He moved to a championship club and once there was saying that it took him a couple of months to adjust. The problem was that the fitness levels at the new club were so much higher than at the premiership club he left, so initially he was struggling. Says it all really.

jimmythecuckoo

Wasn't one of our top clubs caught out a while back when Creatine wasn't so common?

Monty Dog

I think this is more of a case of 'not proven' rather than innocence. Given the level of money available and the impact of fitness/ strength in your ability to retain a first team position and therefore increase your earning power - even your average footballer has enough intelligence to work it out. Remember, Bernard Tapis got done as manager of Marseille back in the early 1990's for the use of illegal drugs. Sadly the lack of positives in football is more likely due to lax methods of testing rather than the desire to use PEDs.

calvjones

Monty Dog wrote:

I think this is more of a case of 'not proven' rather than innocence. Given the level of money available and the impact of fitness/ strength in your ability to retain a first team position and therefore increase your earning power - even your average footballer has enough intelligence to work it out. Remember, Bernard Tapis got done as manager of Marseille back in the early 1990's for the use of illegal drugs. Sadly the lack of positives in football is more likely due to lax methods of testing rather than the desire to use PEDs.

I remember watching the 2005(?) Champ League final - in extra time, Milan were running over the pitch like a bunch of gazelles whereas pretty much every Liverpool player was cramped at some point & hardly able to stand.

I remember thinking then that even if they are all at it, the Italians do it best.