Wednesday Milan Musings

Two issues, not both directly related to Milan are in the news, but worth discussion. The first is an alleged doping scandal in which Milan have denied links to the operation and the doctor involved. The Doctor in question is Dr. Fuentes and he is linked with a larger scale doping scandal referred to as Operacion Puerto. Dr. Fuentes is alleged to have worked with both footballers and cyclists, but is refusing to disclose names.

Milan has hit out and stated they will take legal action against party who insinuates Milan are involved and it will be rather tricky. The issue I have as a fan is that it is not the first time Milan has been probed for doping. Milan Lab was a progressive and rather successful endeavor, despite our constant bashing, in rehabilitating players and prolonging player career's. Cafu, Maldini, Favalli, Seedorf, Pippo, Costacurta, Stam, and Nesta just to name a few enjoyed long extensive careers not without injury and the joke was that Milan Lab was "preserving" our best players. Take it for what's it worth but we live in an era now where any athlete performing longer and harder than his peers is now suddenly guilty until proven innocent instead of vice versa.

I obviously don't condone doping, but as a fan of football and cycling, I feel like the folks in charge need to be more accountable. If you turn a "blind eye" to doping for the purposes of marketability and advertising, then how can you turn around and punish it!? Admit to the blanket wrong doing, set a plan forward and MOVE ON. Not implicating Milan here or FIGC or anyone else for that matter, just wanted to get that out their.

Now onto a more pressing, closer to home issue, that doesn't involve Italy....quite yet...

Europol has begun releasing information on this massive match fixing scandal that seems to stretch to all reaches of Europe in all levels of play. The probe is said to span some 700 games even beyond Europe. Not sure where this leads us, or how it effects it Italy, but sadly when match fixing the first thought is A. Juventus then B. Italy. Sad truth, but a real one. Europol is beginning to release details with Liverpool surfacing in a CL Group match in which they were not involved but their opponent, Debrecin, was. This will continue to pick up steam, bu I think is worth the discussion as we enter CL football in the coming weeks and wonder if Milan's nemesis in the CL Barcelona is truly clean...