Manchester United duo Gary Neville and Roy Keane reveal suspicions of doping about former European opponents. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane level serious accusations against former European rivals
Manchester United duo Gary Neville and Roy Keane have been privy to the very best of Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Old Trafford, as the Red Devils dominated domestic football and also left an indelible mark in Europe.
Man United won two UEFA Champions League titles under the legendary Scot but it could have been so much more. Such was our dominance back then that it would appear that rival teams resorted to doping to gain an advantage over us.
Atleast that is what Neville and Keane think, revealing their thoughts on the matter on the Stick to Football podcast (h/t Youtube). While they did not specifically name any teams, it would appear that the United squad had their fair suspicions.
“I remember it. I would be looking at the players I played against, a couple of the Italian teams, and they looked like they’d not even played a match.”
Keane hinted that these observations were made when United faced Italian sides in Europe’s top competition. While we can only speculate as to who the teams were, there could be reasonable proof to assume the team in question is Juventus.
The Red Devils faced off against the Bianconeri in the second group stage of the Champions League in 2002-03. Man United proved to be dogged opponents indeed, coming out on top in both the clashes.
Roy Keane and Gary Neville have some serious accusations to make. (KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
A pattern emerges?
A major reason to suspect Juventus is the fact that they were associated with Dr. Riccardo Agricola, who was sentenced to jail after being found guilty of providing performance enhancing drugs. Given that the trial started in September 2002, examining Juventus’s medical practices from 1994 to 1998.
Curiously United faced Juventus four times during that time frame, losing three and winning just one. We also saw them off in the semifinal of the 1999 Champions League semifinals, securing a historic 3-2 win in Turin enroute to the trophy.
Neville has insinuated to the fact that other sports have had their own shares of doping scandals in recent years. Given what happened with Lance Armstrong, it would not surprise us if Neville and Keane ae beating the right drum.
“You look back at what came out after in cycling and other sports and doctors and then you think, ‘Hang on?'”
Sir Alex had many memorable nights in the UEFA Champions League with United but often struggled against Italian teams.
The Red Devils also faced a difficult spell of games against Lazio, Fiorentina and AC Milan over the years. While there is evidence or not of any wrongdoing is for the law to decide but one cannot argue that we did not struggle against Italian teams even during our golden years.
If they beat us fair and square, credit where it is due. However, if that is not the case, the very concept of sporting integrity should be called into question.
Pranav Nair
