Former Manchester United captains Roy Keane and Gary Neville have accused some of the Italian teams they faced in the Champions League of doping.
In their disclosure, the United legends claimed that Italian teams used drugs to improve their athletic performance and not always adhering to clean practices.
The two former Red Devils players, Neville and Keane participated in the European tournament from the 1993-94 season until 2010 and 2005 respectively.
Meanwhile, Serie A teams in the 1990s were dominant in Europe, with representatives in eight out of ten Champions League finals during that decade and five more finalists in the 2000s.
Doping allegations have long haunted Italian football, with concerns reaching back to when Neville and Keane were playing for United.
And during a recent podcast discussing their most challenging European nights, the two former United players expressed their concerns about their Champions League opponents.
Neville and Keane mentioned specific reservations about certain encounters with Italian teams during the mid-2000s but didn't mention the names of the clubs.
Neville stated that he and his teammates felt that something was "not right" during these games, while Keane mentioned feeling uneasy about "a couple of Italian teams."
During the Ferguson era, Manchester United encountered formidable Italian teams such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Roma, and Lazio in the Champions League, suggesting that the mentioned teams could be among these clubs.
Neville expressed his concerns on the Stick to Football podcast, carefully noting that there were "a few teams that we played against who weren't clean" and stating that they had suspicions at the time.
Neville said: "There are a couple that stick in my mind and I’m going to say this for legal reasons, I think there were a few teams that we played against who weren’t clean. We thought it at the time."
Roy Keane agreed with his former United team-mate as he recalled facing the Italians in Europe.
Keane added: "We played certain teams, I would be walking off and would be absolutely shattered. I would be looking at the players I played against, a couple of Italian teams, and they looked like they’ve not even played a match."
Concluding the discussion, Neville drew comparisons between football and other sports with doping issues such as cycling, saying: "You look back at what came out after in cycling and other sports and doctors and then you think, ‘Hang on?’'
"Physically, we were fit, we weren’t drinkers. I came off a pitch against an Italian team and thought, ‘That’s not right. That’s not right, I’m. And I know that a couple of the other lads, mid-2000s, thought the same thing."
Although Neville and Keane did not mention a specific club, their former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has previously expressed his belief that they should have achieved even more European Cup victories during his time with them.
It should be noted that Roy Keane and Gary Neville were integral parts of the successful Manchester United team that clinched two Champions League titles.
The quality of Serie A has declined over the last ten years, but three Italian teams have advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League, which will continue on Tuesday, February 13.
Napoli will play against Barcelona, Inter Milan will face Atletico Madrid, and Lazio has been drawn against Bayern Munich.
In their disclosure, the United legends claimed that Italian teams used drugs to improve their athletic performance and not always adhering to clean practices.
What happened?
The two former Red Devils players, Neville and Keane participated in the European tournament from the 1993-94 season until 2010 and 2005 respectively.
Meanwhile, Serie A teams in the 1990s were dominant in Europe, with representatives in eight out of ten Champions League finals during that decade and five more finalists in the 2000s.
Doping allegations have long haunted Italian football, with concerns reaching back to when Neville and Keane were playing for United.
And during a recent podcast discussing their most challenging European nights, the two former United players expressed their concerns about their Champions League opponents.
Neville and Keane mentioned specific reservations about certain encounters with Italian teams during the mid-2000s but didn't mention the names of the clubs.
Neville stated that he and his teammates felt that something was "not right" during these games, while Keane mentioned feeling uneasy about "a couple of Italian teams."
During the Ferguson era, Manchester United encountered formidable Italian teams such as Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina, Roma, and Lazio in the Champions League, suggesting that the mentioned teams could be among these clubs.
Neville expressed his concerns on the Stick to Football podcast, carefully noting that there were "a few teams that we played against who weren't clean" and stating that they had suspicions at the time.
Neville said: "There are a couple that stick in my mind and I’m going to say this for legal reasons, I think there were a few teams that we played against who weren’t clean. We thought it at the time."
Roy Keane agreed with his former United team-mate as he recalled facing the Italians in Europe.
Keane added: "We played certain teams, I would be walking off and would be absolutely shattered. I would be looking at the players I played against, a couple of Italian teams, and they looked like they’ve not even played a match."
Concluding the discussion, Neville drew comparisons between football and other sports with doping issues such as cycling, saying: "You look back at what came out after in cycling and other sports and doctors and then you think, ‘Hang on?’'
"Physically, we were fit, we weren’t drinkers. I came off a pitch against an Italian team and thought, ‘That’s not right. That’s not right, I’m. And I know that a couple of the other lads, mid-2000s, thought the same thing."
Although Neville and Keane did not mention a specific club, their former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has previously expressed his belief that they should have achieved even more European Cup victories during his time with them.
It should be noted that Roy Keane and Gary Neville were integral parts of the successful Manchester United team that clinched two Champions League titles.
What's next?
The quality of Serie A has declined over the last ten years, but three Italian teams have advanced to the last 16 of the Champions League, which will continue on Tuesday, February 13.
Napoli will play against Barcelona, Inter Milan will face Atletico Madrid, and Lazio has been drawn against Bayern Munich.