5 Footballers Who Struggled With Alcohol And Drugs

Fitness is considered to be the most necessary for every footballer even during the off-season, they have to follow fitness rules. That’s why players are prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs.

As you know, alcohol & drugs can never be healthy. By using these, the person has to face mental and physical problems. On the other hand, players must be healthy both physically and mentally, only then they can perform well.

Still, there are some footballers who used drugs or some sort of steroids.

There is no doubt that footballers may have to undergo a lot of pressure on and off the pitch as public eyes are on them. However, some footballers control this pressure well, while some can not. And this is where the problem arises.

Footballers are scrutinized the most, therefore, it is mandatory for football players to participate in the semi-regular drug test.

At the international level, footballers are tested weekly, if any footballer refuses to take the test, then they can be banned from the game and if they fail in drug testing, they face heavy fines and penalties.

This article was first published in July 2018, and updated on Jan 28 2022.

5 Footballers Who Struggled With Alcohol And Drugs.

Paul Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne emerged as the most talented footballer with the best performance in the 1990 World Cup. He was widely recognized as the most naturally talented English footballer of his generation.

A technically skilled playmaker who can be deployed as an attacking midfielder, Gascoigne was capable of both scoring and setting up goals, and was revered for his passing and striking ability. Gascoigne netted 83 domestic goals in 388 total club appearances before retiring from club football in 2004, citing managerial aspirations.

Gazza as he was widely called, made his name on Tyneside with Newcastle. From there he ended up at Spurs with Terry Venables, where he won the FA Cup despite missing the final with injury.

After a sojourn in Italy with Lazio, he came back to the United Kingdom with Rangers, where he won three trophies as well as winning the 1995/96 player of the season award.

Unfortunately, Paul’s suffered a serious knee injury, this incident affected his career very much when he was off the pitch. During this period Paul started taking alcohol and his addiction became uncontrollable.

Due to his addictive personality, Paul entered therapy sessions in October 1998 when he was admitted into Priory Hospital after a drinking session where he drank 32 shots of bourbon which left him at “absolute bottom“.

He was discharged, at his own particular request, two weeks into the proposed  28 day stay. His consequent visits to the Priory turned out to be rarer, and he inevitably returned to alcohol.

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In 2001, Gascoigne’s then-administrator Bill Kenwright reached Gascoigne’s advisor at the Priory, John McKeown, who sorted out greater therapy to help Gascoigne control his alcohol intake.

He described himself as a ‘connoisseur of rehabs’ and is thought to have blown around £ 20 million during his addiction.

As a feature of the rehab treatment, he was sent to the United States where he had a stay at a center in Cottonwood, Arizona.

He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He remained at the center in 2003 after he endured low focus working in China, and again in 2004 in the wake of retiring from football.

Adrian Mutu

Another addict footballer who destroyed his career due to the abuse of cocaine. He started his career playing two years for Argeș Pitești and half a season for Dinamo București, before joining Internazionale in Italy midway through the 1999–2000 Serie A.

After only 10 games with the Nerazzurri, he left for Hellas Verona and then Parma, for which he scored 39 goals in three seasons.

In 2003, his excellent form brought him a €22.5 million transfer to Chelsea. He performed very well for a year, but in 2004 he fell out of favor and put his career at risk when he failed a drug test. The presence of cocaine was found in the drug test, because of this, Chelsea fired him and he was banned for 7 months.

Mutu was a fast and smart player, with brilliant specialized skills and dribbling ability, and was likewise an exact set-piece and penalty taker. In spite of his ability, he was regularly inclined to niggling injuries and accused of irregularity.

In spite of all these, Florentina invited Mutu and gave him an opportunity, Mutu proved to be good for the ‘La Viola’. On 29 January 2010, it was reported that Mutu failed a doping test after a Coppa Italia match against Lazio, in which he scored twice in to help Fiorentina win 3–2.

The INOC was requested to hand Mutu a one-year ban by the Italian anti-doping prosecutor.

Unfortunately, Adrian Mutu could not perform as before due to drug abuse, and his career was ruined. All through his professional career, he was famous for his poor work rate, volatile character, and misconduct on the pitch; with all this, he was frequently viewed as not having fulfilled his actual potential.

Mark Bosnich

Mark Bosnich was an Australian goalkeeper who was touted as one of the best goalkeepers. He played in England for Premier League clubs Aston Villa, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

He also played in Australia for Sydney United, Central Coast Mariners, and Sydney Olympic, as well as representing Australia 17 times during his career, netting 1 goal for his nation.

Bosnich established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League during the 1990s with Aston Villa. Before Manchester United signed him in 1999 as a replacement for the departing Peter Schmeichel, injuries and a lack of first-team opportunities led to a decline in form.

After a few months of break, he left Old Trafford for Chelsea in 2001, earning a $130,000-a-week (approximately £45,500-a-week) where he again struggled to find a regular place in the starting line-up and continued to battle with injuries.

In September 202, his football career reached rock bottom, when he failed a drug test and was subsequently sacked by Chelsea and banned from football for nine months after testing positive for cocaine.

Still, Mark could not get out of the clutches of cocaine for 5 years.  Bosnich admitted that much of his cocaine problem was due to his relationship with British model Sophie Anderton, claiming that for every line she had, he had to have one too. He does not regret his actions.

However, crediting them with being able to help someone in need. Bosnich’s addiction worsened and he later said, “There was a stage where I got up to 10 grams a day when I was really down in the dumps.” On 16 July 2008, he was made bankrupt at the High Court in London on the petition of a creditor.

George Best

A highly skillful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. In 1968, by winning the European Cup, George Best became Manchester United’s most talented footballer, he was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968 and came sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote.

He received plaudits for his playing style, which combined pace, skill, balance, feints, two-footedness, goalscoring, and the ability to get past defenders, his talent was seen in every match. He scored 6 goals against Northampton Town, 4 goals against Benfica, thus, gradually he scored 136 goals in 361 matches.

With his good looks and playboy lifestyle, Best became one of the first media celebrity footballers, earning the nickname “El Beatle” in 1966. His extravagant lifestyle led to various personal problems, most with his high drive for alcohol, which he suffered from for the rest of his life.

These issues affected him on and off the field, often causing controversy. Although he was much conscious of his problems, he was publicly not contrite about them; he said of his career:

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds [women], and fast cars – the rest I just squandered”.

After retiring from football, his marriage went down because he was addicted to alcohol. While playing in the United States, Best stole money from the handbag of a woman he did not know in order to fund a drinking session.

“We were sitting in a bar on the beach, and when she got up to go to the toilet I leaned over and took all the money she had in her bag.

In 1984, he stayed in prison for a few weeks due to drink-driving, assaulting a police officer, and failing to answer bail. He spent Christmas of 1984 behind bars at Ford Open Prison.

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In August 2000, he was admitted to a King’s College hospital in London where he had a successful liver transplant, he hemorrhaged so badly during the operation that he nearly died. The transplant was performed at public expense on the NHS, a decision that was controversial due to Best’s alcoholism.

The controversy was reignited in 2003 when he was spotted openly drinking white wine spritzers. On 2 February 2004, he was convicted of another drink-driving offense and banned from driving for 20 months. Still, he continues and alcohol gets the best out of George.

After football, he spent some time as a football analyst, but his financial and health problems continued into his retirement. He died in 2005, age 59, due to complications from the immunosuppressive drugs he needed to take after a liver transplant in 2002.

László Kubala

László Kubala is regarded as one of the best football players. He was known for his quick and skillful dribbling, composed and powerful finishing, and accuracy from free kicks. During the 1950s, he was a leading member of the successful Barcelona team, scoring 280 goals in 345 appearances.

Kubala played for three international teams – Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Spain played 6 times for Czechoslovakia, 19 times for Spain, and 3 times for Hungary. When he went to Hungary, there was a case of treason against him, for which the communistic regime sent him to prison and after some weeks he was released.

László Kubala was a heavy-drinking, womanizing superstar, one day he was under the influence of alcohol, he was unable to stand. Because of this, he was banned from playing for a few months, on the expiry of the ban, a chance was given to play on behalf of FC Barcelona. Yet he could not be free from the clutches of alcohol and his career was badly affected.

FAQ

Do soccer players do drugs?

Soccer, like most high-profile team sports, suffers from recreational drug use, with the best-known example being Diego Maradona and cocaine in 1991.

What drugs are used in soccer?

The Anti-Doping Database reveals that the most commonly used drug/substance by soccer players is Nandrolone. Cocaine, Cannabis, and Norandrosterone come next. Nandrolone is classified as an anabolic steroid. According to our data, Italy has the most athletes banned for using this substance.

Do professional football players use drugs?

Although the use of performance-enhancing drugs appears to be uncommon, recreational drugs are widely used by professional footballers: 6% of respondents said they knew players who used performance-enhancing drugs, and 45% said they knew players who used recreational drugs.

What drugs do football players use?

Class 1A stimulants such as pseudoephedrine and cocaine metabolites were the most commonly detected drugs in football, with 40 positive cases, and marijuana having 29 positive test results.

Is FIFA testing for drugs?

FIFA’s new anti-doping regulations go into effect today. The modification will implement a new draw procedure for determining which players are tested after matches.

What drugs are prohibited in soccer?

Cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines are illegal in the majority of countries and are prohibited in football. Even if you take a day off, they may remain in your system for some time. They can also be addictive and have a negative impact on your health and fitness.

Do soccer players use steroid drugs?

According to FIFA rules, all players must submit to doping tests that include urine and blood samples. The biological passport was first used at the 2014 World Cup and is now used in FIFA and UEFA competitions.

Do soccer players undergo drug testing?

To combat doping in sports, regular drug testing is conducted. “You can be drug tested at any time and in any location, including after a game, during a training session, or at home,” according to the FA’s official website.

Do Premier League players undergo drug testing?

Absolutely

According to a report, 15 Premier League players failed drug tests between 2015 and 2020, but none were banned. Twelve of the fifteen tested positive for banned performance-enhancing substances, while another was still being investigated five months after his initial test, but no ban was imposed.

Why are drugs used in sports?

Athletes use them to reduce tiredness and fatigue while increasing alertness, competitiveness, and aggression. Amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, and methylphenidate are the most common stimulants found in anti-doping tests (Ritalin).

Is creatine banned by FIFA?

Is creatine illegal? No, creatine is not illegal. Although creatine may have a minor effect on performance, the effects are not guaranteed, and the specific training program remains the most important factor.

Does UEFA conduct drug tests?

Any player taking part in a UEFA competition may be subjected to a doping test at any time. Doping controls may include blood and urine samples, as well as screening for substances like EPO and human growth hormone.

Is Viagra banned in football?

Conte referred to Sildenafil as one of the most important performance-enhancing drugs available at the time, and it was not banned by any major sporting league. In fact, as of this writing, Sildenafil is still not on the NFL’s list of prohibited substances.

Which sport uses the most steroids?

Nonetheless, cycling had the highest number of positive doping test results in the Olympics, followed by weightlifting, boxing, triathlon, and baseball. The exact number of doping athletes is unknown because many athletes refuse to admit to using performance-enhancing drugs.

What are the 4 types of drugs?

• Depressants. Some of the most commonly found types of drugs in society are depressants
• Stimulants. Stimulants, such as caffeine or nicotine, work in the opposite manner
• Opioids. The opioid addiction crisis has affected our society to a grave degree
• Hallucinogens

Does Viagra make you run faster?

The study found that some Viagra users improved their performance by nearly 40% in 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) cycling time trials conducted at a simulated altitude of 12,700 feet (3,870 meters) – a height far above that of general elite athletic competition.

What are the top five performance-enhancing drugs?

Take the time to educate yourself on the potential benefits, health risks, and numerous unknowns associated with anabolic steroids, androstenedione, human growth hormone, erythropoietin, diuretics, creatine, and stimulants.

Is it possible to go to jail for using steroids?

It is, however, illegal to possess, import, or export anabolic steroids if it is suspected that you are supplying or selling them. Giving them to friends is included. The penalty is an unlimited fine or even a 14-year prison sentence.

What exactly are hard drugs?

Typically, the term “hard drug” refers to drugs that are addictive and injectable, such as heroin, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine.

What do soccer players drink?

• Water
• Sports drinks containing sodium
• Protein Shakes
• Sports drinks containing electrolytes
• Vitamin Water
• Multi-Probiotic drink.

Is alcohol good for football players?

In theory, this means that players who drank the night before a big game would have less energy and oxygen delivered to their working muscles, making the second half that much more difficult, with their legs feeling a little heavier than usual.

Is beer good after a soccer game?

Beer contains carbs, electrolytes, and other nutrients that soccer players require after games. However, beer contains alcohol, which effectively eliminates all of the good stuff. Alcohol is harmful to athletes. It acts as a diuretic, causing dehydration, which is the absolute worst thing for an athlete.

What should I drink before soccer game?

Sports drinks, milk, smoothies, and juice are examples of liquid nutrition. Salty snacks, such as pretzels or crackers, are also well tolerated. Dried or fresh fruit, rice cakes, graham crackers, or fig bars are also good sources of quick energy.

Can i play soccer with a hangover?

Hangovers can raise your blood pressure and place additional strain on your heart. Vigorous exercise, such as playing football, is likely to put additional strain on your heart. It will also worsen your dehydration, leading to worse symptoms and the possibility of muscle cramps, strains, and injury.