The late great Diego Maradona was considered by many as the greatest footballer of all time. His flair and skill on the field left opponents speechless and gained praise from supporters all around. However, he was infamous for his usage of drugs too being banned from the sport for Cocaine intake in 1991. Consumption of P.E.D (Performance Enhancing Drugs) has been simultaneously associated with sports as they have known to provide a substantial advantage for athletes when pitted against their opponents. However, not all cases are blatant as recently Ajax F.C goalkeeper Andre Onana opened up on his ban for drug use. He felt ill and consumed his wife’s Lasimac medication seeking to find relief for his sickness. It proved to be in fact more harmful than solve his problems as he was banned initially for 12 months but was reduced to 9 on appeal. The Dutch players Union were disgusted by the ban stating it was disproportionate and incomprehensible.

Ensuring mandatory tests before games

Testing before games is one way to eliminate drug use in football. Players are known to provide urine and blood samples before matches to ensure there is no substance in their bodies and the competition is fair between them and their opponents. This has given them a great advantage to help fight this issue, but they must make it stricter to ensure they wipe out drug use from football completely. The organisations must also be careful to distinguish which drugs provide performance enhancement and which don’t in order not to wrongfully accuse the person who was not guilty in the first place. However, the player must also not be allowed to play in the match to avoid circumstances like the one that happened to Andre Onana.

Serious consequences for positive drug test

The punishment must be severe in order to have any chance of eradicating drug use in sport for good. Bans, and fines alone would not be sufficient, but the consequences of early death must be made real to athletes for them to really consider quitting drugs. In case of cheating where athletes provide a wrong sample or unwillingness to give the test, players must be penalised and wait on the final verdict to decide the severity of the punishment. Players must also be sent to counsellors to get support and help to overcome using illegal substances in order for them to get their life back on track and thrive in the sport for which they were born to play. The beautiful game must not succumb to performance enhancing drugs used heavily rather on creating measures to eradicate the issue and keep the game pure for both athletes and fans.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

 

Football with Syringe Image Credit: Irish Times

Qatar’s World Cup a success?

  World Cup 2022 After a month of international football and 63 matches played, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar has concluded. In one of the greatest finals ever, with back-and-forth action throughout 120 minutes of football, Argentina was able to overcome France in...

Is the Premier League the real Super League?

When the European Super League was announced in 2021, the initial teams included were the ‘top 6’ teams from England, Spanish giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético, and Juventus, Inter and A.C. Milan from Italy. The intent of the Super League was to increase...

FC Barcelona on The Right Track Towards Rebuilding Process

One of the biggest clubs in Spain along with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona were a dominant force for years. The place where Ronaldinho got his move to a big club and where Lionel Messi made a name for himself, the club now find themselves playing the Europa League after...

Youth Development Pivotal Towards Football Clubs’ Long-Term Goals

Anthony Elanga was a name not heard often in the footballing world. As the season progressed people witnessed him making a handful of appearances but were not convinced of his talents. The coaches and officials at youth level on the other hand, knew his potential and...

Kenya Women’s Team Hoping For A Miracle After Withdrawal Fiasco

The Kenya women’s football team had high hopes to qualify for the African women’s cup of nations taking place in Morocco from 2nd – 23rd July 2022. They seemingly had one foot in the finals after thrashing Sudan women’s national team 15-1 over the course of two legs....

A Biennial World Cup Would Be An Immense Problem For Players, Football Clubs and National Teams.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most watched sporting tournaments in the world. The finals in 2018 contested between France and Croatia drew roughly 517 million viewers. It is the stage where countries battle against opponents to be crowned world champions. Occurring...

Are Managers Sacked Without Being Granted Sufficient Time?

Claudio Ranieri, the name very synonymous in the Football world especially in the Premier League where he was given his start in England by Chelsea from 2000-2004. However, he is most notable for guiding Leicester City to their first and only League title in the clubs...

Support Towards Clubs Must be Prioritised as Covid-19 Disrupts Flow of Football

Covid-19 continues to prevail in the society hampering activities and daily life. The world of sport especially football is not immune to it. Initially after permitting people into stadiums after a huge hiatus, there was happiness and harmony during matches as fans...

Interview with Chancy Cooke

On Wednesday May 12th, an interview with Chancy Cooke was conducted with Evytal Intern Marc Ryan Smoorenburg. Chancy Cooke is our newest addition to the many coaches we represent here at Evytal Sports Management. Mr. Cooke’s coaching profile entails many years of...

Maurício Copertino Joins Vasco da Gama

Maurício Copertino, an experienced and highly qualified UEFA Pro licensed coach, has recently taken on a new challenge by joining Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama. Alonside head coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Maurício will take on the assitant coach position at the new club...