Former Manchester United players Roy Keane and Gary Neville have accused some of the teams they played against of doping.
In a podcast focusing on their toughest nights in Europe, former United players have spoken of their reservations about their Champions League opponents. While Neville said he and other United players felt something was wrong during a certain encounter in the “mid-2000s”, Keane specifically mentioned “a few Italian teams”.
While Neville and Keane did not single out a specific club, Sir Alex Ferguson, their manager at the time, has said in the past that they should have won even more European Cups during his tenure. Keane shared two Champions League victories with Neville and United.
“Not clean” teams
Neville told the Stick to Football podcast: “ There are a few that stick out in my mind and I’m going to say this for legal reasons, I think there were a few teams that we played that weren’t clean. We thought so at the time. » Keane added: “ We played against some teams, I was leaving the field and I was absolutely upset. I looked at the players I had faced, two Italian teams, and it looked like they hadn’t even played a single match.
Concluding the discussion, Neville said: “ You look at what happened afterwards in cycling and other sports and doctors, and you say, “Wait…”. Physically, we were in good shape, we didn’t drink. I came out of a match against an Italian team and I said to myself: ‘This is not good. It’s not right, I’m sorry.” And I know a few other guys, back in the mid-2000s, thought the exact same thing.”
Serie A targeted
In the 1990s, Serie A teams were the teams to beat in Europe. They had a representative in eight of the ten Champions League finals held during this decade, and a further five runners-up in the 2000s. Doping allegations have dogged Italian football for a long time, dating back to the days when Neville and Keane played for United.
Serie A has lost quality over the past decade, but three teams are in the round of 16 of the Champions League, which resumes in February. Italian champion Naples will face FC Barcelona, Inter Atlético Madrid and Lazio Bayern Munich.
