Doping in Soccer/Football

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

Anyone seen the footage of CR7 yesterday prior to the semi? He should have been tested on the spot.

He made look Moreno Torricelli like a schoolboy.

 

[carolina]

What are you refering to? The only "strange" thing is the skin tone, but he spent a lot of time in morocco recently.

His spritns were fantastic. No way he had a hamstring rupture.

 

[gooner]

FIFA did unannounced testing on the entire FC Rostov team.

FIFA doping testers have turned up unannounced to test an entire leading Russian soccer team amid suspicions of meldonium use.

FIFA medical chief Jiri Dvorak told The Associated Press that the Rostov starting eleven were tested after they won 3-1 at Dynamo Moscow on Thursday. Rostov has mounted a surprise title challenge this season and is two points behind leader Dynamo.

Dvorak said in an interview at the FIFA Congress in Mexico City that "we have today done an unannounced control of a football club, Rostov ... which we successfully completed one hour ago."

Dvorak added "there were some rumors in the media about meldonium and Rostov ordering meldonium."

http://bigstory.ap.org/3cdd035814a0448e8b7a5d3e0f03ace9

 

[jens_attacks]

hard days to be a russian athlete

thank you merika

 

[BullsFan22]

Re:

hard days to be a russian athlete

thank you merika

Sucks to be born a Russian, in Russia.

 

[Albatros]

Barcelona have won the league outrunning the opposition in only ten out of 38 games. Atlético came third outrunning the opposition in 36 games out of 38.
In the last game, Barcelona playing for the league title covered 103 kms. Granada, their rivals, playing for nothing 104. Atlético in the previous game when they still had chances of winning, 121kms. That is like having two more players on the pitch.

There has been something seriously wrong with the doping plan of Barcelona this season. Still, their quality told in the end.

 

[BullsFan22]

Barcelona have won the league outrunning the opposition in only ten out of 38 games. Atlético came third outrunning the opposition in 36 games out of 38.
In the last game, Barcelona playing for the league title covered 103 kms. Granada, their rivals, playing for nothing 104. Atlético in the previous game when they still had chances of winning, 121kms. That is like having two more players on the pitch.

There has been something seriously wrong with the doping plan of Barcelona this season. Still, their quality told in the end.

Suarez had himself a season. That was the deciding factor for their success in the league this season.

 

[The Hitch]

Barcelona have won the league outrunning the opposition in only ten out of 38 games. Atlético came third outrunning the opposition in 36 games out of 38.
In the last game, Barcelona playing for the league title covered 103 kms. Granada, their rivals, playing for nothing 104. Atlético in the previous game when they still had chances of winning, 121kms. That is like having two more players on the pitch.

There has been something seriously wrong with the doping plan of Barcelona this season. Still, their quality told in the end.

Saying that a football team is clean(er) because they don't run as much is kind of like saying that a cyclist is clean because he didn't win any mountain stages.

There are hundreds of ways doping helps in football, from strength to endurance to speed to injury recovery.

 

[Catwhoorg]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36329937

Frankfurt captain Marco Russ has been diagnosed with a tumour - discovered after he failed a routine drugs test.
The 30-year-old defender tested positive on Wednesday for high levels of growth hormone HCG, which was found to be caused by the illness.
The club have not confirmed the location of the tumour.

There may or may not be doping angles one can take with this, certainly there are discussions about Lance tests being covered up which could have diagnosed him earlier that could be had.

I just hope he can get treatment and recover

 

[sniper]

Re:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36329937

Frankfurt captain Marco Russ has been diagnosed with a tumour - discovered after he failed a routine drugs test.
The 30-year-old defender tested positive on Wednesday for high levels of growth hormone HCG, which was found to be caused by the illness.
The club have not confirmed the location of the tumour.

There may or may not be doping angles one can take with this, certainly there are discussions about Lance tests being covered up which could have diagnosed him earlier that could be had.

I just hope he can get treatment and recover

Tumors I believe are one possible side effect of steroid abuse.

Would love to see some more official figures for tumors and heart attacks in soccer compared to normal society.

On the topic of heart attacks in soccer, you might be interested in this list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_footballers_who_died_while_playing
It certainly looks like something changed in the 2000s. There are of course other factors complicating the picture. (increasing number of soccer players means increasing number of deaths). But still. ..

(The link was pointed out to me by a friend btw.)

 

[gooner]

Banned in Argentinian football. Wonder how much this painkiller is in use elsewhere.

BUENOS AIRES, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The vice president of the Argentinian soccer club San Martin, Jorge Miadoski, confirmed on Thursday that two more soccer players, one from his team, tested positive for the anti-inflammatory Oxa B12, a strong painkiller, in a drug test.

These two new cases brings the total to 67 players recently involved in doping in Argentinian soccer.

Miadoski warned that "there are many more players" in this situation and some have already had to face the consequences. The vice president said this situation was down to "mistakes" from medical advisers and a lack of information regarding regulations.

"From the moment we found out that we couldn't use (the medicine) we changed everything," said Miadoski.

Oxa B12 has been forbidden in Argentinian soccer since 2013 and it is not penalized because it enhances performance. It is penalized as it could generate problems in athletes' bodies in the future.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-05/20/c_135373793.htm

 

[tantocomo]

Another Salbutamol case: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/28/alan-judge-brentford-warned-fa-anti-doping-breach

Warned and will be target tested for 2 years

 

[blackcat]

Barcelona have won the league outrunning the opposition in only ten out of 38 games. Atlético came third outrunning the opposition in 36 games out of 38.
In the last game, Barcelona playing for the league title covered 103 kms. Granada, their rivals, playing for nothing 104. Atlético in the previous game when they still had chances of winning, 121kms. That is like having two more players on the pitch.

There has been something seriously wrong with the doping plan of Barcelona this season. Still, their quality told in the end.

Saying that a football team is clean(er) because they don't run as much is kind of like saying that a cyclist is clean because he didn't win any mountain stages.

There are hundreds of ways doping helps in football, from strength to endurance to speed to injury recovery.

good post hitch.

and they should compare those running less to those running the most in 1970 and compare those apples

 

[blackcat]

Banned in Argentinian football. Wonder how much this painkiller is in use elsewhere.

BUENOS AIRES, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The vice president of the Argentinian soccer club San Martin, Jorge Miadoski, confirmed on Thursday that two more soccer players, one from his team, tested positive for the anti-inflammatory Oxa B12, a strong painkiller, in a drug test.

These two new cases brings the total to 67 players recently involved in doping in Argentinian soccer.

Miadoski warned that "there are many more players" in this situation and some have already had to face the consequences. The vice president said this situation was down to "mistakes" from medical advisers and a lack of information regarding regulations.

"From the moment we found out that we couldn't use (the medicine) we changed everything," said Miadoski.

Oxa B12 has been forbidden in Argentinian soccer since 2013 and it is not penalized because it enhances performance. It is penalized as it could generate problems in athletes' bodies in the future.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-05/20/c_135373793.htm

mistakes like one of the Yates twins for OGE?

in this respect, we know it was a mistake cos he races for lilly whity Orica, and even tho he is British and if was at Sky like JTL no doubt he would dope, but because he is on the lily white aussie team GreenEDGE, no way does he dope. enuf said. shouldnt even be in discussion in The Clinic or by The Clinic 12 Apostles?

who is Judas anyway? Schwaze Katz? La Pussie Noir?

polyglot third person

Danielson taking a spin class. Where is TT to get the urine after his effort?

now I know what JV was onto when he said Tommy Dee was 20 percent Eskimo, and could not burn fats. He has been in the paddock and pizza restaurant of Dario Pieri and put his feet up the last 12 months. He puts Jan to shame, there is no way he can burn fats, JV was right

 

[LeakyBoat]

Re:

Another Salbutamol case: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/28/alan-judge-brentford-warned-fa-anti-doping-breach

Warned and will be target tested for 2 years

Saw this when I checked that story.

 

[sniper]

Bonar did indeed identify (i.e. name) the English football players that he was treating.
The names might come out still.
ST journalist just confirmed names of the clubs involved (Chelsea, Leicester, and one other)

 

[gooner]

Re:

Bonar did indeed identify (i.e. name) the English football players that he was treating.
The names might come out still.
ST journalist just confirmed names of the clubs involved (Chelsea, Leicester, and one other)

Arsenal and Birmingham were also named in the ST articles at the time. The ST journalists said that they contacted the names involved. Some denied any association, some refused to comment.

 

[Mayo from Mayo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3640929/Jamie-Vardy-seen-holding-nicotine-pouches-Red-Bull-England-striker-gears-Wales-clash-Euro-2016.html

Marginal gains!

 

[sniper]

against Wales is the first Russia game i'm seeing, but for real, what tha *** is wrong with them?
a big country with a fairly rich soccer tradition being outplayed by Wales.

 

[blackcat]

Re:

indeed. and Ancelotti apparently brought some of that expertise along with him to Paris. Otherwise I don't see the point in contracting a slow 38 year old Englishman.

Anyway, zebedee's point is not that AC Milan aren't doping. of course they dope.
the point is that it's hard to understand why they'd reach out to a madrid-based doc for that. I'm inclined to agree. But "hard to understand" of course doesn't mean "impossible". Thus far, clearly AC Milan still seems the most plausible candidate for being "milan".

Really? No other reason? Massive global profile, one of the most famous sportsmen on the planet, huge commercial potential?

Arsenal signed a Japanese player several years ago. He rarely played. His nickname in the dressing room was 't shirt' because of the shirt sales he generated in his native country. Not every footballer is signed solely for their ability on the pitch.

junichi inamoto ftw

 

[The Hitch]

Conte is the newest media annointed tactical genius.

Lets see how the experts explain these tactics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8AyIPw929w

Oh. what a surprise. The master tactical plan is to have the forward players run round like Duracell batteries the whole game putting pressure on the opposing team whenever they have the ball. The second aspect of it is to have all the players play with "determination", - so essentially the same thing- don't be lazy.

So basically the same as every football master tactical plan I've heard of in the last decade. Guardiola at Barca. Klopp at Dortmund.

Funny how all these tactical masterplans essentially just involve the players having unreal endurance and stamina that allows them to play 100% for the whole 90

 

[sniper]

Re:

Conte is the newest media annointed tactical genius.

Lets see how the experts explain these tactics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8AyIPw929w

Oh. what a surprise. The master tactical plan is to have the forward players run round like Duracell batteries the whole game putting pressure on the opposing team whenever they have the ball. The second aspect of it is to have all the players play with "determination", - so essentially the same thing- don't be lazy.

So basically the same as every football master tactical plan I've heard of in the last decade. Guardiola at Barca. Klopp at Dortmund.

Funny how all these tactical masterplans essentially just involve the players having unreal endurance and stamina that allows them to play 100% for the whole 90

lol, so true.
A German article was just celebrating Hector and his 'maturity' when playing for Die Mannschaft. This maturity was summarized as his 'willingness' to run so much on and off the ball.


in other news, Sakho just got cleared of all charges.
What an absolute shocker.
How/why did he even test positive? UEFA needed some fast cash and Liverpool was in their debt?

Proceedings against the Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho over an anti-doping violation have been dismissed, the independent Uefa control, ethics and disciplinary body has announced.

The France international tested positive for a “fat burner” after Liverpool’s Europa League tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford in March, and served an initial 30-day suspension.

But that initial ban was not extended as Uefa launched an investigation into whether the substance Sakho took should even be on the banned list – and the governing body announced on Friday the case was dismissed.

A Uefa statement read: “The independent Uefa control, ethics and disciplinary Body met in Paris and has reached a decision relating to the proceedings instigated against Liverpool player Mamadou Sakho, following the Europa League round-of-16 second-leg match between Manchester United and Liverpool (1-1), played on 17 March 2016.

“The proceedings against Mr Sakho related to a violation of the Uefa anti-doping regulations after the player failed a doping test at the above-mentioned match. Following a hearing with the lawyers of the player and experts of the Wada-accredited laboratories on this case, the CEDB has decided to dismiss the case.”

"independent"...

 

[gooner]

WADA may appeal the Sakho verdict. Sakho could possibly sue too.

However, Wada has the right of appeal and, asked whether it planned to exercise that right, a spokesman told Telegraph Sport: “We are awaiting the reasoned decision as it relates to this one.”

The agency may need to overturn the verdict if it is to avoid legal action over its handling of a saga which threatens to shatter confidence in its ability to lead the fight against drugs in sport.

Indeed, a source close to the case told Telegraph Sport that Wada must take “sole responsibility” for the events which culminated in Thursday’s outcome. “The way in which Wada managed this case is absolutely unacceptable,” he added.

Telegraph Sport has been told by more than one source that proceedings against Sakho would not even have been opened – and would have been dropped much sooner – but for Wada, which insisted on a case being pursued despite mounting evidence any conviction would be unsafe.

The agency is said to have intervened almost from the very beginning, when Sakho tested positive for a substance called higenamine following the second leg of Liverpool’s Europa League tie against Manchester United on March 17.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/07/11/liverpools-mamadou-sakho-facing-fresh-legal-battle-over-doping-v/

 

[sniper]

Some interesting data here on drug & ped use in English professional football, from 2005.

Objectives:
To examine several issues related to drug use in English professional football. More
particularly the project sought to gather data on: players’ use of permitted supplements (mineral and
vitamin pills and creatine); whether they sought advice, and if so from whom, about their use of
supplements; their experience of and attitudes towards drug testing; their views on the extent of the use of
banned performance enhancing and recreational drugs in football; and their personal knowledge
of players who used such drugs.

Methods:
With the cooperation of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), reply paid postal
questionnaires were delivered to the home addresses of all 2863 members of the PFA. A total of 706
questionnaires were returned, a response rate of just under 25%.

Results:
Many players use supplements, although almost one in five players does so without seeking
qualified professional advice from anyone within the club. Blood tests are rarely used to monitor the health
of players. One third of players had not been tested for drugs within the preceding two years, and 60% felt
that they were unlikely to be tested in the next year. The use of performance enhancing drugs appears to
be rare, although recreational drugs are commonly used by professional footballers: 6% of respondents
indicated that they personally knew players who used performance enhancing drugs, and 45% of players
knew players who used recreational drugs.

Conclusions:
There is a need to ensure that footballers are given appropriate advice about the use of
supplements in order to minimise the risk of using supplements that may be contaminated with banned
substances. Footballers are tested for drugs less often than many other elite athletes. This needs to be
addressed. The relatively high level of recreational drug use is not reflected in the number of positive tests.
This suggests that many players who use recreational drugs avoid detection. It also raises doubts about the
ability of the drug testing programme to detect the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Source:
"Drug use in English professional football". 2005.
I Waddington, D Malcolm, M Roderick, R Naik
J Sports Med 2005; 39:e18

 

[sniper]

Good summary of some of the more interesting testimonials of doping in soccer:
(source: Dominic Malcolm & Ivan Waddington (2008)
‘No systematic doping in football’ : A critical review, Soccer & Society, 9:2, 198-214)

Testimonials of those involved in football

A number of allegations of doping made by players and managers suggest that the amount of posi-
tive drugs tests underestimates the extent of drug use in football. In 1999, Dr Wilfried Schiesslir
(club doctor with German Bundesliga club Nuremburg) and Robert Louis Dreyfus (head of
adidas and president of Olympique Marseilles) called for the liberalization of anti-doping laws in
football because the ‘current system of doping control is flawed’.
33
In 2002, Dr Michel D’Hooghe, chairman of FIFA’s Medical Commission, argued that players across Europe were
using erythropoietin (EPO), human growth hormone and anabolic steroids. He further claimed
that ‘high profile stars’ had started to employ their own medical specialists and that doctors
known to have been active in administering performance-enhancing drugs in cycling and endur-
ance skiing were ‘suddenly appear(ing) around football clubs all over Europe’.
34
Players such as Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars and Gianluca Vialli have made similar allegations that leading
players in the game were using performance-enhancing drugs to cope with the physical demands
of playing an increasing number of games. In 1999, for instance, Petit said that, ‘If the present
number of games continues, something is going to give. We will all have to take drugs to survive.
Some footballers already do. I know that.’
35
Perhaps more interesting, however, is the testimony of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Speaking in 2004 Wenger claimed that some players joining Arsenal had displayed symptoms of
EPO use. He said, ‘We have had some players come to us at Arsenal from other clubs abroad and
their red blood cell count has been abnormally high. That kind of thing makes you wonder.’ He
went on to exonerate the players, stating that, ‘There are clubs who dope players without players
knowing. The club might say that they were being injected with vitamins and the player would
not know that it was something different.’
36
Wenger’s comments are interesting in that they are based on tangible evidence derived from Arsenal’s own blood testing programme. The evidence upon which Wenger based his suggestion that such players had been subject to club-administered doping regimes is, however, less clear.
That such organized and systematic doping occurs in European football is, however, indicated
by the testimony of a number of retired players. Two former Marseilles players have publicly
stated that the club provided players with performance-enhancing drugs. In his autobiography
(published in 2002) Marcel Desailly stated that club chairman, Bernard Tapie, had instructed the
squad to take pills before big matches and that whilst some team mates refused, Desailly himself
took the tablets ‘several’ times. Whilst Desailly was not sure what these pills were, he recalled
that the box of tablets contained the warning that: ‘This medicine, above a certain dose, can be
considered as a doping substance for high-level sportsmen.’
37
Four years later midfielder Jean-Jacques Edelie confessed to having agreed to take an illicit substance prior to the 1993 Champions League Final. Moreover, he argued that performance-enhancing drug use occurred in all but
one of the clubs for which he had played, and that at Marseilles, ‘we all (except Rudi Voller) took
a series of injections and I felt different during the game, as my physique responded differently
under strain’.
38
Only one Marseilles player (Christophe Dugarry) tested positive for a banned substance, and then some years later.
39
In contrast to the Marseilles evidence, allegations of a systematic doping programme at Spartak
Moscow football club arose directly from the positive test of a player. Yegor Titov tested positive
for bromantan (a stimulant and masking agent) whilst playing for Russia against Wales in Novem-
ber 2003. The Russian media subsequently claimed that this drug had been administered as part
of a systematic doping programme at Spartak, citing the sudden withdrawal of Spartak players on
the eve of Russia’s match against Ireland in September 2003 as suspicious. Two former Spartak
players, Vladislav Vashchyuk and Maxim Demenko, subsequently provided testimony of their
participation in this doping programme. Demenko recalled that, ‘Small white pills were given to
first team players before each game’, and Vashchyuk said that doctors often used a drip to admin-
ister banned drugs.
40
Finally, in 2006
Le Monde accused Spanish clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Real Betis of having employed the services of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Fuentes was then being investigated by a Spanish judicial inquiry into doping in sport and was arrested in May 2006 on charges of crimes against public health. Though Barcelona and Madrid denied the allegations, and insisted that Fuentes had never been linked to their players either formally or informally, the journalist responsible, Stephane Mandard, claimed that he had seen Fuentes’ handwritten notes mentioning the teams as having been treated by him.
41
These allegations support D’Hooghe’s assessment of drug use in European football cited earlier.