Former Roma, Lazio and Foggia coach Zdenek Zeman famously sparked an investigation into the excessive use of medication in football and decades on he insists ‘nothing has changed.’
The Czech tactician spent most of his career in Italy, known for his all-attack style of football and incredibly harsh training sessions.
He also hit the headlines in the summer of 1998 when as the coach of Roma he gave a series of interviews complaining that football clubs – particularly singling out Juventus – were pushing doping rules to the limit with their use of medication.
This sparked an investigation that spread to other clubs including Parma, Torino and Roma, but Juventus were eventually cleared in 2007 after a long trial and series of appeals.
Speaking to Mediaset show Le Iene at the launch of his autobiography, Zeman was asked about the recent reports of retired players worried about several of their colleagues suffering from cancer and leukaemia.
“It is strange that certain players are only frightened now and not when they were taking certain substances,” said Zeman.
“I don’t think anything has changed today, unfortunately. These lads who are thinking about it now should’ve asked questions 25 years ago, asking what they were taking and why. It’s too late now.”
However, Zeman made it clear he is not one of those who believe there is any connection at all between substances taken during their playing careers and the recent deaths of Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli.
“No, those illnesses can affect anyone.”