In the world of sport, doping is unfortunately part of the game – no matter what game it is that you\u2019re playing. Some sporting organisations are much stricter on this kind of thing, such as combat sports, whereas others are considered to be more lenient. There are even some where it\u2019s barely mentioned, but it\u2019s hard to say whether that\u2019s because it isn\u2019t prevalent or because testing agencies simply aren\u2019t that passionate about catching people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In football, there have been a handful of notable issues over the years, but nothing that has ever amounted to a massive \u2018scandal\u2019. We\u2019ve even heard the likes of Gary Neville and Roy Keane talk about Italian clubs that they felt were doping after playing them, but these things never really get much further than rumours. Why? Well, there are plenty of reasons, but we do think it\u2019s probably a lot more difficult to get definitive testing done in team sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then again, maybe that\u2019s just an excuse. Maybe we need to be questioning these governing bodies a bit more, if only so that we can get a bit of clarity on what kind of procedures they like to put in place. Whatever the answer may be, it certainly seems like there\u2019s a lot we aren\u2019t being told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just take this report from The Athletic<\/a> as an example. Last season, two players tested positive for a banned substance during tests that were carried out in Premier League<\/a> and English Football League games. It\u2019s unclear what substances were found, and it\u2019s also not clear why there was no official punishment handed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently, the number of tests carried out by the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has also dropped significantly over the course of the last few years. There were 2,176 tests across the top four tiers of English football which is in comparison to 2,545 the year before. That is a fall of 11%, and you\u2019d have to say that it\u2019s a big concerning for those who are interested in seeing a level playing field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n