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Overworked France's Petit says players turning to drugs to cope
Posted: Tuesday June 08, 1999 11:23 AM
LONDON (AP) -- The English Football Asssociation on Tuesday challenged Emmanuel Petit, the France and Arsenal midfielder, to provide evidence to back up his claims that top soccer players are turning to drugs to cope with the demands of the modern game. In an interview Tuesday in the Daily Mirror, Petit was quoted as saying that the increased number of matches will lead to an escalation in the use of drugs in soccer. "If the present number of games continues, something is going to have to give," he said. "We will all have to take drugs to survive. Some footballers already do. I know that. But I am not giving any names." "When people talk about a World Cup every two years and 12 European Cup ties even before the quarterfinals, I warn that players might be forced to take drugs to get through such a tight schedule," Petit was quoted as saying. "All the players are talking about it. They are fully aware of the situation." FA spokesman Steve Double said, "If he has any evidence, we would like to hear from him. We will not be calling him before the FA at this stage ... But if he has evidence, we would like to hear it. However, the recent test results do not back that up." Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the players' union in England, said the English Football Association will demand an explanation for Petit's "contentious" comments. Taylor said Petit should clarify whether he is talking about performance-enhancing drugs or painkillers and anti-inflammatory products. Taylor agreed, however, that the demands of the game are spiraling out of control. "It is well known the French players have been complaining about the number of matches," Taylor said. "They have been playing for the last 12 months without a break. "We are trying to achieve with FIFA an agreement for a football calendar with a proper period without club or international games so players get a proper physical and mental rest." French national team doctor Jean-Marcel Ferret joined ranks with Petit, also warning of the danger of players facing too many games. "I understand Manu and I fully support his reaction," he said in an interview with sports daily L'Equipe on Tuesday. "It's high time we have some European-wide legislation to harmonize calendars." "If we don't do anything, we are clearly playing into the hands of doping." Ferret said a maximum limit of matches players can face in one season should be set. He also said Zinedine Zidane's knee injury, which has kept him out of recent French international games, was a result of the player getting insufficient rest. "There comes a time when you have to say `stop' and let them rest, so they can retrieve their lucidity. If not, it's easier for them to take a little something," Ferret was quoted as saying.
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