Neururer: Drugs were 'part and parcel' of football

Former Hannover boss Peter Neururer has alleged doping was rife in German football during the 1990s.

The issue of drugs in sport has been reignited in Germany since Erik Zabel, the winner of cycling’s green jersey in six straight Tour de France events, confessed last month to using Erythropoietin (EPO) during the 1996 tour.

Now Neururer, who has been out of a job since being sacked by Hannover early last season, alleges as many as half of German players were drug cheats in the 1990s.

“It was widespread and generally practised,” he told Sport Bild. “Captagon was taken, and some players were crazy about it. It was part and parcel of football. Around 50% (of players) took it, and that was not only in the second division.”

Captagon is a performance-enhancing substance which is officially banned on the list of prohibited drugs, but according to Neururer it is evident if somebody is taking it.

“The eyes look different,” he added. “The player does not get tired and tends to overreact a lot on the pitch. It was absolutely crazy how it was used.

“There were other substances, like Ephedrine,” revealed Neururer. “That was also taken by cyclists – it is an asthmatic’s drug, and suddenly everybody claimed they had asthma so they could take it.”

Despite the former Bochum coach’s claims, regular and random drugs tests have failed to justify his remarks.

Only 1860 Munich forward Nemanja Vucicevic has recently been tested positive for taking Finasterid, traces of which were found in a hair-growth product he had used without consulting his employers.

He was banned for six months, but is now back in action for the German second division side.