8 Serie A players you didn't know tested positive for illegal substances

The Serie A has had a checkered past with doping and substance use with a number of household names testing positive for banned drugs

After Manchester United’s legendary duo Gary Neville and Roy Keane opened a can of worms and accused players from the Italian Serie A of systemic doping, we’ve drawn up a list of stars who tested positive for banned substances during their time in Italy’s top flight. 

While the case of ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba remains fresh in the memory, some of the names in this list of Serie A’s positive testers has many names that have gone under the radar despite their checkered past. 

Some received lengthy bans, while others appealed decisions to get their names cleared, but almost all of them survived the scandal of testing positive for banned substances to lead fulfilling careers and remain household names and fan favourites 

Edgar Davids

In 2001, Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids, then at Juventus, was found guilty of having nandrolone, a performance-enhancing steroid, in his system and received a four-month ban from football. 

The presence of nandrolone was a significant issue in football during that period, especially in the Serie A, with several players testing positive.

Jaap Stam

Another stalwart of the Netherlands national team, Jaap Stam tested positive for nandrolone in 2001 while playing for Lazio. 

Although Stam maintained his innocence suggesting contaminated supplements might have been the cause, he faced a ban in 2001 for substance use.

Pep Guardiola

After leaving Barcelona in 2001, Pep Guardiola pitched his tent in the Serie A with Brescia. However, during his time at Brescia, Guardiola tested positive for nandrolone and received a four-month suspension. 

He fought a long legal battle to clear his name, and in 2009, he was acquitted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which accepted his appeal against the conviction for doping.

Adrian Mutu

After testing positive for cocaine use in 2004 and having his Chelsea contract terminated, Adrian Mutu moved over to the Serie A, but his demons soon caught up with him in Italy too. 

Mutu's career was later marred by another doping incident in 2010, while playing for Fiorentina in Serie A, as he tested positive for sibutramine, a substance banned by anti-doping agencies. This resulted in a nine-month suspension from football.

Fernando Couto

Couto was another high-profile case of a player testing positive for nandrolone in 2001 after joining Serie A giants Lazio from Barcelona three years earlier. 

The Portuguese defender received a suspension, adding to the list of players implicated during a period when doping controls in football became more stringent.

Alain Boghossian

1998 World Cup winner Alain Boghossian also tested positive for nandrolone while playing for Parma in 2001 and received a ban alongside several other Serie A stars in the same era. 

Boghossian’s case was part of a series of incidents that brought attention to the use of banned substances in Italian football.

Diego Maradona

One of football's most iconic figures, Maradona faced a 15-month ban from football in 1991 while playing for Napoli after testing positive for cocaine. 

Maradona's case is among the most high-profile doping incidents in Serie A history, not for performance-enhancing drugs but for recreational drug use that violated anti-doping regulations.

Fabio Cannavaro

In 1999, Cannavaro tested positive for a cortisone product, which was used to treat a bee sting. His case was considered exceptional, and he faced no significant suspension due to the circumstances surrounding the positive test.

The former Parma, Juventus, and Real Madrid defender would go on to win the 2006 Ballon d’’Or after captaining Italy to their fourth World Cup title that same year. 

These cases reflect the complex and often controversial nature of doping in football, with many players contesting their charges and some being cleared upon appeal. 

The issue of doping has led to increased testing and stricter regulations within Serie A and football worldwide to maintain the sport's integrity and health standards.

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