Prljavi igraju prljavo
"Update, 19:58 CET: While we didn't know this originally, HGH is banned
under FIFA law, as per this document: "On the 2006 FIFA list of
prohibited substances, HGH belongs to category S2, 'hormone and related
substances.'"
***
Sky Sports' Barcelona-based writer Graham Hunter
appeared on Irish radio show Off the Ball recently, and casually
mentioned that Barcelona's (and Spain's--this will be important) star
midfielder Xavi has used HGH (Human Growth Hormone) to deal with a calf
strain. Hunter nonchalantly mentions Xavi's HGH use, then went on to
explain that "was how they were treating him, very openly and publicly.
[HGH] is an injection that Barcelona has been using to deal with muscle
fatigue and muscle strains in their players over the past couple of
years. They use it as a treatment."
Human Growth Hormone is
banned in most major sports, certainly in all the major American leagues
(MLB, NFL, NBA) and cycling. It's a synthetic version of the naturally
occurring hormone that helps spur muscle and bone growth. In this case,
Barcelona are using HGH to spur muscle regrowth and repair.
If
this is true (we are inclined to believe Hunter, as he's a respected,
famous journalist and has been very pro-Barcelona in the past), then
there could be something really, deeply wrong with the sport generally.
If doping allegations are treated so trivially, then there is really
little hope of ever confronting doping on an international stage in
soccer."