The pressure to succeed and win in any sport is high among athletes. Football, like other sports, comes with its own stresses and high stakes.
Unfortunately, in an attempt to win at all costs, several soccer players take harmful substances like steroids to give themselves an unfair advantage. Steroids are artificial versions of chemicals called hormones that are naturally produced in the human body.
Sometimes steroids may be used for their medicinal value, but sometimes to give yourself an unfair advantage over other athletes.
Many high-profile footballers have used steroids due to ignorance of substances they do not know are banned, peer pressure and poor knowledge of the negative effects of doping.
They often do not know that the substances they have taken are prohibited, but ignorance does not prevent them from being punished.
1. Pep Guardiola
Yes, the former Barcelona midfielder and legendary coach was once banned for using an anabolic steroid called nandrolone. This steroid is testosterone used by athletes to increase physical performance. While playing for Italian side Brescia in 2001, Pep was banned by the Italian Football Federation for using the substance. The ban was later overturned on appeal.
2. Abel Xavier
The former Portuguese defender was banned in 2005 for using the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone (also known as Dianabol). Dianabol is a steroid used to increase muscle growth and physical performance. He was initially given an 18-month ban, but it was later reduced to 12 months on appeal. Abel Xavier was the first Premier League player to be found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs.
3. Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids is one of the famous football players who wore glasses while playing on the field. The former Dutch and Ajax Amsterdam footballer was caught using Nandrolone while playing with Italy’s Juventus. The ban was supposed to last for about 16 months, but was later reduced to 4.
4. Dave Kitson
Kitson is a former Premier League player who played for various clubs such as Reading, Stoke City, Portsmouth among others. In a report published in the British tabloid Mirror in 2019, Dave admitted to taking steroids at various times during his career. He admitted that he used them to improve and maintain his physical performance on the field. The retired footballer, however, was never caught using the substance during his playing days.
5. Fernando Manuel Silva Couto
The former Porto centre-back was caught using Nandrolone in 2001 while playing for Italian side Lazio. He initially denied using it, but a second sample “B” confirmed the use. Couto was initially given a 9-month ban, but only served 4 months and paid a $60,000 fine.
6. Frank de Boer
In 2001, the then Barcelona and Netherlands captain tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone. He protested the results and strongly denied using steroids. Frank de Boer was initially banned for 12 months, but his drugs ban was lifted following a UEFA hearing.
7. Jaap Stam
The former tough Dutch defender was banned in 2001 for also using Nandrolone. He was given a ban of 5 months, which was later reduced to one month after an appeal; Jaap still insists that he has never knowingly used any banned substance. Many years later, Jaap Stam wrote in his autobiography that he took the same vitamin pills as Dutch teammates Edgar Davids and Frank de Boer, who all tested positive for nandrolone.