Pro-cycling thread

Sorry but that is precisely the attitude that allows doping to flourish in football. Strength, stamina and rapid recovery make huge differences to a footballer's ability.

And the rest is speculation. There were strong rumours that Fuentes had bags of blood for footballers, I know at least Real Sociedad had admitted paying him, but there were rumours around Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and the Spanish and German national teams.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/other-soccer/ewan-mackenna-murky-questions-surround-spanish-footballs-golden-era-and-people-might-not-like-the-answers-36943284.html

There hasn’t been a period in football when doping has defined and shaped the game.

See:

It was in March of 2004 when Jesus Manzano, a middle-of-the-peloton cyclist with Kelme, came forward about a systematic doping programme in his team. Coincidence or not, since the interview he gave, in soccer his country has won two European Championships, a World Cup, eight Europa League titles, while Real Madrid on Saturday could add another Champions League to the seven others in that same period. It's been unprecedented even for a major powerhouse of the game.

As I said football largely escapes close scrutiny because both people mistakenly believe you don't get benefits from doping as its a game based on skill and also no-one wants to scrutinise it too much because there is so much money in the sport. Pep Guardiola got popped twice during his career, and has since managed some of the most successful club sides in the modern game. At Barca the team was known for its tikki-takka style of play where the team would pass and move and press opponents for 90 minutes non-stop. Given that he cheated as a player, why should he change when he is a coach? I strongly suspect his teams have doped, and given the way Ferguson railed against Rio Ferdinand's suspension I strongly suspect that the ManU side under him did the same.

That article is juicy af:

So serious was it, the cellmate of Fuentes, when in custody, said he told him if the story came out, Spain would likely have to give back the World Cup.