Doping in Soccer/Football

[sniper]

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sp...wordt-er-in-het-voetbal-doping-gebruikt.dhtml
Dutch journo on doping in soccer.
Enlightening as he sums up several established doping cases and concludes that it is beyond doubt that doping is used in soccer.
Yet he's still very naive in several respects, e.g. still grossly underestimating the advantages of doping; claiming only a few teams are on PEDs; that it is still possible to become world champion without doping if you just outwit your doped-up opponent, etc.

 

[Cyivel]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys. I'm a long time reader of The Clinic, so I definitely owe all of you some gratitude. This forum has definitely been a beacon of truth in the desert of ignorance. The LA-saga might have made the regular sports fan more aware of doping use, but I still feel football exists in its own little bubble, shielded by massive commercial and emotional interests. This world will prove much tougher to crack than cycling's. Not sure how to get this article to a wider audience, though.

Well Shane Stokes just tweeted it, so I guess that's a start!

 

[will10]

Is it just me or is it incredible how much pace Barcelona have in every single position. Last night was a massacre.

 

[zebedee]

Playing in an altered state really. Like a swarm of wasps both with and without the ball.

 

[ShrubberyBlue]

Is it just me or is it incredible how much pace Barcelona have in every single position. Last night was a massacre.

At the end of the game last night even the commentator stated how Alba had been bombing up and down the pitch for the full 92 minutes without a let-up.

Why don't they just add 2 and 2 together...

 

[l.Harm]

So three weeks ago they forgot to take it?

 

[sniper]

So three weeks ago they forgot to take it?

Valid point. Perhaps we're looking at home advantage?
We've heard it plenty of times: players getting their 'vitamin' shots shortly before a match. There could thus be a home advantage: away from home you may not have the facilities and/or space to give your players such a pre-match boost.
Just speculating of course.

 

[Spencer the Half Wit]

Valid point. Perhaps we're looking at home advantage?
We've heard it plenty of times: players getting their 'vitamin' shots shortly before a match. There could thus be a home advantage: away from home you may not have the facilities and/or space to give your players such a pre-match boost.
Just speculating of course.

I think Milan are no strangers to "vitamin" shots either, given their record of keeping aging players going long after they should be retired or dropping down a level.

Last night, IMO, was just down to footballing reasons. In the first leg Barca employed the same tactics but couldn't score and Milan hit them on the break twice. Last night Messi scored early and that changed the game.

Both teams were probably on the same "vitamin" shots, the difference was that Barca had Messi, Xavi, Innuesta, Villa et al and Milan had an overweight Robinhio.

 

[iejeecee]

Valid point. Perhaps we're looking at home advantage?
We've heard it plenty of times: players getting their 'vitamin' shots shortly before a match. There could thus be a home advantage: away from home you may not have the facilities and/or space to give your players such a pre-match boost.
Just speculating of course.

I think the Barcelona is out-doping everyone else theory is overplayed really.

There is no way Milan is less doped as Barcelona (Milan lab). Instead Barcelona's game is based on supreme technical ability coupled with amazing ball winning skills. Especially Iniesta last night made some ridiculous
interceptions, calmly taking the ball from a rushing milan player's feet like it was nothing.

Thats what was the key last night. Not out-doping Milan.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

You cannot outdope Italians, they invented the stuff. One Dutch side still owes a CL trophy grazie a the doped up Italians, EPO powerrrrrr.

 

[Cyivel]

So three weeks ago they forgot to take it?

Pep took the connect when he said he was joining Bayern, must have just found a new one

 

[sniper]

You cannot outdope Italians, they invented the stuff. One Dutch side still owes a CL trophy grazie a the doped up Italians, EPO powerrrrrr.

which should make us wonder why italians are such lousy tennis players.
well there is one-day fly Errani, but even she went all the way to valencia to gear up.

 

[Caruut]

I read through all the pages of this great topic to compile some of the best doping cases in football. Listed them here:

http://www.4dfoot.com/2013/02/09/doping-in-football-fifty-years-of-evidence/

Haven't been on this thread for a while, but just read through this. Top stuff.

 

[The Hitch]

Yesterday the UK commentator was heaping praise on the barca full back (arbeloa?) about the energy levels he has and how he had been sprinting up and down the field all day yet yet still had it in him to in injury time do a 40 yard dash to get to a very difficult ball, control it, slot it in, and sprint down the touchline in celebration with no fatigue whatsoever.

 

[Caruut]

Arbeloa plays for Madrid (and also has insane levels of stamina). Think Jordi Alba is the one you mean; deemed not good enough, sold to Valencia, bought back for £20m I think.

 

[Caruut]

I think the Barcelona is out-doping everyone else theory is overplayed really.

There is no way Milan is less doped as Barcelona (Milan lab). Instead Barcelona's game is based on supreme technical ability coupled with amazing ball winning skills. Especially Iniesta last night made some ridiculous
interceptions, calmly taking the ball from a rushing milan player's feet like it was nothing.

Thats what was the key last night. Not out-doping Milan.

Yet doping does not occur only on the match day. Would you not agree that a doped athlete can train harder and longer and recover better? If you agree to that, does it not also make sense that an athlete who can train far longer might be able to get those famed technical and teamwork skills honed incredibly?

 

[iejeecee]

Yet doping does not occur only on the match day. Would you not agree that a doped athlete can train harder and longer and recover better? If you agree to that, does it not also make sense that an athlete who can train far longer might be able to get those famed technical and teamwork skills honed incredibly?

uhhh, I have made these same arguments in this same thread some time ago.
Nobody is doubting the benefits of doping in football. However doping doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's not like Barcelona are the only ones doing it now or in the past.

For whatever reason they happen to be a lot better as the rest of the world at this moment. Some of that may be down to doping and some of it may not.

 

[Caruut]

uhhh, I have made these same arguments in this same thread some time ago.
Nobody is doubting the benefits of doping in football. However doping doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's not like Barcelona are the only ones doing it now or in the past.

For whatever reason they happen to be a lot better as the rest of the world at this moment. Some of that may be down to doping and some of it may not.

You just said upthread that there was no way Barca were less doped than Milan and that their game was based on supreme technical ability. Can you see why that sounded like you were doubting the benefits of PEDs in football? Barcelona are most certainly not the only ones doing it. The present situation looks to me like they may be doing it more than others.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

My view on soccer is very simple. Soccer is still a technical sport, indeed in the case of Barcelona. When you up the tempo with doping, you technical must also be upped, I tend to think there is a limit in how much that is trainable. For instance, you cannot teach Puyol to handle a ball when in full sprint. Technique is trainable but in my view there is a limit to that.

Dope third division players and they will win on their stamina. Dope world class players and you will give them extra stamina.

Recuperation is of course a big issue, but, the playing style of Barcelona is not in dispute with me. For now.

Yesterday the UK commentator was heaping praise on the barca full back (arbeloa?) about the energy levels he has and how he had been sprinting up and down the field all day yet yet still had it in him to in injury time do a 40 yard dash to get to a very difficult ball, control it, slot it in, and sprint down the touchline in celebration with no fatigue whatsoever.

Guess you mean Alba.

He already did this at his prior club, Valencia if I am correct.

 

[RownhamHill]

Thought this was interesting from Sir Alex on the subject of Rio Ferdinand's surprise call up back into the England squad . . .

"I was as surprised as anyone when I heard," Ferguson said. "I need to speak to the [United] doctor because we prepare Rio Ferdinand in a certain way and there are certain treatments he has to go through.

"He has to make sure he is going to be OK in terms of the number of games he plays. We have been doing that for two years and it has worked. We have to look at all these things before Rio decides [if he joins up]."

. . .

"The procedures have been the same all season which has given him fantastic performance levels when he's playing for us," said Ferguson. "We have to consider that and Rio is considering that. And we'll see what the outcome of that is."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/mar/15/rio-ferdinand-england-alex-ferguson

 

[peace in middle east]

Ballack missed a doping control in 2011.
Bayer Leverkusen went to CAS, claiming Ballack was ill and therefore couldn't come.
CAS insist on a fine of 25.000.
Bayer spokesman stresses though that it is not a doping offence, merely "organisatorisches Fehlverhalten" (bad organisation).
Easy does it.

http://www.express.de/bayer-04-leve...inspruch-im--fall-ballack-,3288,22122288.html

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Thought this was interesting from Sir Alex on the subject of Rio Ferdinand's surprise call up back into the England squad . . .

Lol that sounds sketchy as ****, especially considering its the guy who got a 8 month ban for "forgetting " a test.

 

[iejeecee]

Was listening to the latest edition of the "World Football Phone In" from BBC.

Someone asked what the panel thought of Couthino (the Brazilian player who recently moved from Inter to Liverpool). And Mina Rzouki's response was something along the lines of.

Inter thought the player was very talented, but they were dismayed that his athleticism didn't match his talent. So they desperately tried to pump him up and build muscle but his knees started to cave in a little. Not in the same way Pato went, but he started to suffer and it was injury after injury.

I thought it was funny that football journalists are so oblivious to doping that they don't even release how bad a answer like that sounds. Does this story sounds familiar? (brazillian) Ronaldo, Nadal and now Pato and Couthino. Seems like steroid abuse has some seriously bad effect on your knees.

You can listen to it here, http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wf
answer starts at 10:22

 

[Benotti69]

Thought this was interesting from Sir Alex on the subject of Rio Ferdinand's surprise call up back into the England squad . . .

Yes, this is doping by another name,

....to the detailed pre-planned training and medical programme he must follow......

Rio needs his marginal gains.

Ryan Giggs still playing at 39 and signed to play on next year!

Anyone remember Paolo Maldini played till he was 41 at AC Milan!

 

[RownhamHill]

Yes, this is doping by another name,



Rio needs his marginal gains.

Ryan Giggs still playing at 39 and signed to play on next year!

Anyone remember Paolo Maldini played till he was 41 at AC Milan!

I posted that earlier quote just because it amused me, but the more I read about this whole Rio call up the sketchier it sounds. Apparently he really is missing the England call up because he's got some 'pre-planned' medical treatment booked, which can't be done while he's with the England doctors/medical team because it's got to take place in a clinic in Milton Keynes (WTF?), and the exact nature of the treatment is a secret.

Honestly I neither know nor care if there is an innocent or nefarious explanation for this, but imagine what the press/fans would say if a top cyclist, from one of the biggest teams in Europe, who in the past had served a ban for literally running away from drug testers (sorry, forgetting), announced in the press that they were choosing to miss an important race (say a semi-classic) because he needed to medically prepare for the rest of the season with a secret treatment that could only be performed in a specific clinic? I don't think it would be pretty. . .