Arsene Wenger: ‘In 30 years as a manager I’ve never had my players injected to make them better. I never gave them any product that would help enhance their performance. I’m proud of that’

Published: 12 November, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has voiced his concerns regarding doping in football. 

The Frenchman spoke out after Russia were accused of running a “state-sponsored” doping programme by a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report. 

Athletics is embroiled in the most serious of its many doping scandals, with WADA chairman Dick Pound claiming the reports are “probably the tip of the iceberg” and warning that athletics is not the only sport with a drugs problem. 

In September, the Gunners suffered a 2-1 defeat in the Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb, whose midfielder Arijan Ademi later failed a drugs test. Ademi has a hearing on November 19 and will face disciplinary proceedings if his B-sample is also positive, but the Croatian club will face no punishment from Uefa. 

Wenger echoed Pound’s views, and believes that “many” teams his side have faced over the years do not follow the rules. 

“I try to be faithful to the values that I believe to be important in life and to pass them on to others,” he said in an interview with L’Equipe. 

“In 30 years as a manager I’ve never had my players injected to make them better. I never gave them any product that would help enhance their performance. I’m proud of that. I’ve played against many teams that weren’t in that frame of mind. 

“For me the beauty of sport is that everyone wants to win but there will only be one winner. We have reached an era in which we glorify the winner without looking at the means or the method. 

“Then, 10 years later we realise the guy was a cheat. And during that time, the one that came second suffered. He didn’t get recognition. And, with all that’s been said about them, they can be very unhappy.” 

Two years ago Wenger said that sport was “full of legends who are in fact cheats” as he called on Uefa to improve its drug-testing programme. “I don’t think we do enough,” he said. “It is difficult for me to believe that you have 740 players at the World Cup and come out with zero problems. Mathematically that happens every time but statistically, even for social drugs, we would do better to go deeper.”