Zeman: 'Doping exists in football'
By Football Italia staff
Zdenek Zeman tips Inter and Napoli for the Scudetto, looks back on Calciopoli and claims “doping still exists in football.”
The former Roma and Cagliari Coach sat down with the Corriere dello Sport newspaper for a lengthy chat and discussed the current Serie A situation.
“Inter are the strongest team in Italy, because they have players who can hurt the opposition and have a mentality targeted at the result.
“They have a German or even Anglo-Saxon soul, knowing how to get results in a practical way.
“Napoli are only a relative surprise, as forwards like Jose Callejon, Gonzalo Higuain, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens satisfy every need. Watching them play is a joy.
“Fiorentina also have a strong identity, albeit more focused on possession. I remember 20 years ago people said the 4-3-3 was old-fashioned, but now I realise many still appreciate it.
“Critics always complained there had to be a balance, but I never understood what that meant. Is a team that wins 1-0 more balanced than one with a 5-4 victory? A 0-0 is boring, it’s better to lose 5-4, at least it gives you some excitement.”
Zeman famously sparked an investigation into doping in football and was also one of Luciano Moggi’s earliest critics at Juventus.
“Doping still exists in football. Every now and then a new story emerges, such as the scandal in Russia or the American study looking back over old tests to underline doping in 16 per cent of athletes. Now 16 per cent is a lot…
“We must fight this with a different culture, giving success to who is best, not who cheats.
“As for Calciopoli, I was born a Juventus supporter and I still was for many reasons. Then I was angry with those who were in charge of Juventus, not Juve per se. These people hurt football.”
Zeman was also asked about the fact Roma won the Scudetto under Fabio Capello after his departure.
“Perhaps because if I had stayed, we would not have won for other reasons. If you think of Calciopoli, you will understand.”
