Maradona beat Pele, Garrincha, Cruyff and everyone else with his WC performances is 86 and 90. Obviously some posters have trouble swallowing that.
Just like some have difficulties to accept that his greatest club glories were attained by a Camorra owned club, with 'lucky' Luciano Moggi in charge. It seems.
No one denies Maradona's greatest moments belong with Napoli, he played seven years there during his prime.
Maradona wasnt exactly a fifa poster boy. I question how random the test is when the star of the team was the only one picked to take it. If Fifa wanted to protect him then he wouldn't be tested altogether. To be banned after being "randomly" selected for a trivial test using over-the-counter ephedrine was a deliberate move by fifa.
You have to read it "between the lines" within a CONTEXT, not ... literally by itself as one sentence. The context was: 1- someone had a delusion to claim Maradona's injury (tiny bruise not fully recovered) at WC90 was the SAME DEGREE with what Pele got at WC66 *a deadly tackles (twice on same legs) 2- Hence I said" go watch the WC90, there "Maradon was running like crazy" in contrast to a Pele's barely walk/standing on his feet at the game vs Portugal WC66! OK???
Past week Johnny Rep was in a talkshow at Thursday, together with a researcher who wrote a book. Just saw it today because I principally don't watch RTL (a foreign owned right-wing commercial broadcaster). The researcher concluded that banned substances as such were used everywhere in Europe during the 1970s, ofc not a very surprising conclusion. The researcher was asked which banned stimuli were used in Holland during the 1970s. He answered amphetamines. For the vast majority of times, almost "exclusively", this was used, he bases on disclosed information and interviews. He says that players themselves investigated the possibilities to use these, with as most notorious case Theo Laseroms of Feyenoord who traded in amphetamines and got an income from this. And otherwise club doctors were around who provided it "when players requested the drugs". The follow-up question was whether players knew they asked for banned drugs. The answer was that a part of them knew they were banned, but many others didn't know because they thought it was commonplace in football (in Europe) and was just the 'bread and butter' of footballers. Some of them also regarded it as a placebo drug - the usual positive symptoms did not appear among all players but it boosted confidence. In extraordinary cases it also happened that the doctor told them it were vitamin pills (when asked for providing them), but that it was in reality something else. Johnny Rep (who admits banned use during his career) is asked whether he has also scored all those World Cup goals with banned drugs. Johnny Rep says he knows about the research and he is surprised how the researcher concludes that Orange used drugs at the 1974 and 1978 World Cup. He had never ever expected that. Rep states firmly that Brazil was completely filled with drugs in 1974 and Argentina in 1978. But the Dutch national team of that time at major tournaments is hard to imagine, he says. When asked how he is so sure that Brazil and Argentina were completely filled with banned stimulances, he responds that he could see it at how they behaved and moved. Their behaviour and their expression in the eyes, how restless and wild they acted. It is a firm impression that many colleagues had at that time, he says. "The Argentinians were completely wild. And everyone was acting negatively against their opponents; the referees, linesmen everything. And those players were really oversaturated with... yes" Rep says that he sometimes took an amphetamine pill before a few important matches when he played at Ajax. Later also at St Etienne, for himself surely the most notorious instance. The players were obliged to take a few things before an Uefa Cup game against PSV and within a few minutes St Etienne was 3:0 ahead. It was just stipulated to the players to take this heavy stuff. This was a "very extreme instance." He is asked what the amphetamines did with him. He says it provided confidence, you neglect your fatigue, tiredness. But sprinting faster... no. It boosted his confidence, concentration and raised the aggressiveness, he literally says. But at tournaments and high level games the FIFA or other authorities monitored this. "They always picked out four players. It was very hazardous to try something at a World Cup because they were able to detect these stuff." Interviewer asks: "So at a World Cup it was out of the question." Rep answers: "Yes, then you are insane if you try that as player." The researcher says that Rep has probably misunderstood the research. It isn't stated that banned drugs were used by the 70s Holland team. "The statement is not that at 1974 and 1978 drugs were used." The research raises this question though, because also the opposite isn't proven, and it isn't certain that the authorities (i.e. FIFA) always do their job properly - and follow the procedures - as past instances have shown. Researcher emphasizes that many players were used to take drugs before important games, and in the Netherlands this was mostly, and almost exclusively, amphetamines. He mentions the 1970 Feyenoord - Estudiantes game for the Intercontinental Cup as certain case. 80% of the Feyenoord players requested and took amphetamines, a banned drug. Rep says: "That is no conclusion, that is certain I can tell you." But usage at tournaments "is a different story" and it was detectable, says the researcher. Rep adds that it was also a placebo on a number of occasions. Because a side-effect is a insomnia, but he did not always had that problem. And sometimes a game had a random drug test, but none of the eight tested players became detected and it turned out that the pill was just a placebo. Finally, it is also asked whether Rep is concerned about his health, or that he has experienced something so far. Because according to the anti-drugs authorities amphetamines can result in problems with the heart-chamber. Rep says no and adds: "One should not exaggerate it. There were teams and players who took three pills every week and I usually took one pill at two occasions in a season." The only thing he experienced was insomnia but other than that no health problems, and he isn't afraid either, he says. He knows what he was doing and requesting for. Then also some remarks about (decades long and systemic/organized) drug use in Spain, Italy and Germany at football but nothing new here that isn't posted already in the thread.
Messi is not the fastest player in the world, and never will be because has short legs ed è is low. But its agility, resistance, quickness and acceleration are not normal, . As much I admire Messi, he took hormones as a child and he have benefited a lot. Its physical structure is abnormal.
Messi's hormones were to bring him to normal. He was already dribbling past everybody before he took them. He was too small for his age. People still call him the midget, so the hormones did not take him past normal. Children that are too small take them in every country to become more normal, and they do not become great athletes. No great athlete is normal. Pele, Maradona, young Brazilian Ronaldo, etc etc.
HGH brings ill children on average past 'normal' state, show various studies (see this same thread for an example). On average there is no deficiency left after treatment; instead, it brings them past and beyond the control group (healthy children without treatment). Of course he had talent but until the age of 15 he was not a first team starter of his age group (because of the hormone deficiency).
Maradona seemed more ordinary. Pelè was certainly an incredible athlete for his time Ronaldo was not so inhuman seen in his life has suffered heart attacks, ipotridism(that makes you fat, which can also cause heart attacks), weakness ligament ecc. He has had great athletic ability, but also many weaknesses. Messi has never suffered serious injury, despite its ligaments subjected to incredible acceleration. I do not know if Ronaldo was doped or not, hard to believe. Why?? 1Ronaldo of Barcellona was 2 times bigger than that of Psv. 2Ronaldo of Inter was even bigger than Ronaldo of Barcellona 3has never been found positive to doping controls in contrast to players like Guardiola, Davids ecc. 4Ronaldo of Inter was more muscular than Ronaldo of Psv, Barca or Cruzeiro, and therefore it is not credible that he had continued to take drugs in INter and Barca In Italy, the controls have always been very strict. Ronaldo at 16 was already incredible faster and have a body many developed compared to its peers. Personally I do not see any difference between the Ronaldo of PSV and the Ronaldo of Cruzeiro Ronaldo of Barcellona Ronaldo of Inter The '90s were the era in which they preferred the power to agility the players were more muscular than today, so there is nothing strange in the muscles of Ronaldo. Ronaldo has maintained a great speed also from fat The explanations are: 1 he was doped when he was already 16 and he was continued to doped in Psv, Barca, Inter and considering its speed even in Real. 2 He was simple genetically predisposed for the speed like other athletes in football, like Pelè, Henry, Cr7, Kakà ecc. In the end there is no evidence that Ronaldo was doped, only speculation. I seen some players with the power and speed of Ronaldo, but i never seen a player with super human agility, quickness and acceleration of Messi.
I have for all three. When I hear agility, it's usually the flying keepers that come to mind such as the Mexican Campos who had to jump long to survive because of his short stature. Maradona, Pele, Best and some others were as quick or quicker than Messi, while in acceleration Roberto Carlos, Piolo Lopez and some others had more of it than Messi.
mmm you're right not quite right ... With out the ball (running free) R Carlos, Cr7 .... (and few others) were among the fastest ~10.7seconds/100m (faster than all Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona Messi ..) however WITH THE BALL at FEET (it counts) Ronaldo, Pele, Maradona, Best, Cruiff, Messi , Garrincha ... were the bests (Czibog , Dzazic, Jorge Magico, Henry, Kaka ... deserved a mention ) In a short distance romario,zico were also up there
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/south-africa-lose-ranking-points-spain-clash http://www.marca.com/2013/11/20/en/football/national_teams/1384985480.html Spain are the real FIFA darlings it seems... They transgress the rules and as 'reward' the opponent becomes punished, while your own ranking does not take a hit - as a bonus. Really strange FIFA logic. A better ruling would be a 3:0 defeat by default. So, as an advise for all other FIFA homies, break the rules and the match will not punish your ranking or future seeding.
Being that it's FIFA I am hardly surprised anymore. Had the roles been reversed and it was South Africa (with the lead) that had made the extra substitution then I am fairly certain that FIFA would award the result to Spain as opposed to leaving the result null and void.
This showed FIFA once again were STUPID and UNCONTROLLABLE with their rules - especially the REFEREE tasks ... The coach might be so eager and MISCOUNTED the number of players he did sub! But the REF should be the REF to resolve the situation! How many times we see the REF got away with their fault/bribery/mistakes .,,, backing up with FIFA???? At one point I think Camera review would be the FAIREST MEANS and we need only ONE REF on the pitch! A so called "FAIR play " (promoted by FIFA) constantly made controversy with ONE REF screwed up the game when millions eyes watching!
Typical cheating Spaniards. They knew what they were doing by taking advantage of the refs and FIFA's rules.
Agree but we can not blame Spain for that, almost every team would do same ... It was FIFA job to resolve this better to start with the ... REF ... (who is like king on pitch without touching the ball)
Spain moving in the right direction with new anti-doping agency. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/10/30/doping-spain-idUKL5N0II1QZ20131030
I think people don't realise that new types of doping are not oriented to simply increase your physical abilities it's for being able to last hard trainings that you wouldn't been able to without doping.
Today are the World Cup draws. I hope it is accessible to others but the television over here made an overview of dubious World Cup draws. I also saw a BBC video showing this but that is with music, thereby muting what was said during the draws (not as understandable to hear). Especially the 1982WC draw is infamous. http://nos.nl/video/583099-wondere-wereld-der-wklotingen.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25102176 I knew about that chaotic 1982WC draw (with the Sophia Loren 1990 draw as good second) but good to see it on video again. Also interesting to hear how the five/six high placed FIFA men did not use English (or French) as language of conversation, but that apparently German was the informal communicative language back then. It wasn't their intention but segments of their manipulative conversation could be heard by the whole world. And oh, the decision to not place France in pot 2, as originally intended, is over here explained as a Platini ploy. For what's worth, the editor of the largest sports newspaper over here called "the manipulating at World Cup draws even worse as the dances around doping."
To be fair, Spain hasn't got a bad draw but also not a very, very good one. However, they will escape other betting favourites until the semi-final. The biggest winner is Argentina. Very easy group with cannonfodder and if they win the group they will certainly not meet a good opponent until the semi-finals.