MALAGA COACH BERND Schuster believes doping in football is acceptable in certain circumstances.
The former Real Madrid boss told Sport Bild that the practice is fine provided it is used purely for the purposes of helping a player to recover from injury.
“As long as it’s for recovery purposes, I have no problems with it,” he said.
“If a player can reach his full fitness level two to three weeks faster, then it makes sense.
“It’s not about players being brought up to 120, 150 or even 180 per cent. It shouldn’t be performance enhancing.
“It’s about getting players to their usual level as soon as possible.”
The German media recently alleged that their country’s players took illegal substances in at least three past finals – one of which was believed to be during the 1954 World Cup.
And Schuster revealed that he had no idea what was in the substances he was given during his time as a player.
“We all took something, but no stimulants in the classical sense. The doctors always gave us something, however.
“We never questioned what they gave us, as it wasn’t about getting us to run over the pitch with 200%, but rather to conquer minor injuries or illnesses.”
