Brazilian soccer star Daniel Carvalho initially admitted receiving injections of anabolic steroids while he played in the Russian Premier League. He told Brazilian radio station ESPN Estadao that medical doctors with CSKA Moscow regularly injected him with steroids to help him bulk up. Carvalho played for CSKA Moscow from 2003 until 2010. He later partially retracted his allegations.
“I left Brazil thin, very thin,” according to Carvalho. “Then I went to Russia for six years, and they gave me steroid injections, and after six months I’d put on eight kilos.”
Carvalho told ESPN Estadao that the Russian Premier League had no anti-doping policy at the time and that the use of anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs was “normal”.
CSKA Moscow general director Roman Babaev called Carvalho’s comments “rubbish” and “stupidity”. Babaev categorically denied the allegation that CSKA Moscow systematically provided steroids to any of its players.
The furor over his comments in Russia forced Carvalho to backtrack on his statement regarding steroids. He partially retracted his allegations. Carvalho told the a Brazilian daily newspaper Correio do Povo that he was regularly injected with something but he couldn’t be sure if the injection contained anabolic steroids.
“I do not know if there were anabolic steroids in them. I do not have the medical knowledge to say that. If there were, this happened 10 years ago and it is in the past,” according to Carvalho. “If there were not, then I apologize to the Russians for my comments.”
Carvalho also made sure to clarify that he was never forced to take any drug, food supplement or unknown injection. He and all other players with CSKA Moscow consumed the same supplements and were not forced to use them by their Russian employers.
Source:
ITV. (January 31, 2012). Carvalho reveals anabolic steroid use at CSKA Moscow. Retrieved from http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/carvalho-i-was-given-anabolic-steroids-in-russia-11994/
Mira, L. (January 31, 2012). Daniel Carvalho: CSKA Moscow did not force me to take steroids. Retrieved from http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2557/news/2012/01/31/2876262/daniel-carvalho-cska-moscow-did-not-force-me-to-take
