Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City have refuted the doping allegations made in the Sunday Times‘ ground-breaking undercover investigation, which claimed that 150 professional athletes — including footballers from the aforementioned clubs — were doped by a British doctor.
Dr. Mark Bonar, the doctor who allegedly supplied performance enhancing drugs to athletes, reportedly treated players from top Premier League sides such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City.
Following the revelations made by Dr.Bonar in an undercover video, which features him talking about the doping substances, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester City have distanced themselves from the allegations.
The clubs released the following official statements soon after the story broke:
Leicester City — Leicester City Football Club is extremely disappointed that The Sunday Times has published unsubstantiated allegations referring to players from clubs including Leicester City when, on its own admission, it has insufficient evidence to support the claims
Chelsea — Chelsea Football Club has never used the services of Dr Bonar and has no knowledge or record of any of our players having been treated by him or using his services.We take the issue of performance-enhancing drugs in sport extremely seriously and comply fully with all anti-doping rules and regulations.Chelsea FC players are regularly and rigorously tested by the relevant authorities.
Arsenal — Arsenal Football Club is extremely disappointed by the publication of these false claims which are without foundation. The club takes its responsibilities in this area very seriously and our players are well aware of what is expected. We strictly adhere to all guidelines set by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
What next?
The groundbreaking report of the doping scandal has the potential to be the biggest doping row in the history of sports in the United Kingdom, with as many as 150 elite athletes involved including many Premier League stars.
An investigation has already been planned to verify the claims made in the Sunday Times report and if the investigation finds proof of doping, the Premier League clubs would be forced to suspend their players, regardless of the consequences it would have in terms of results. The wider impact it would have on the sport itself given the high-profile clubs and players allegedly involved is also worth considering.
