The Liverpool Asthma Conspiracy Theory

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Posted: Jul 12, 2022 | Updated: 4 weeks ago

Conspiracies and football are two of the most interesting things life has to offer, so it is no wonder why, when they combine, it makes for an interesting story.

There is no doubt this Liverpool team is one of the greatest teams to ever have been assembled so it is no surprise that rumours are circulating online from fans that Liverpool has taken measures to enhance their physical performance, but are they completely baseless?

All rumours must start somewhere, so let’s investigate.

How did the Liverpool asthma conspiracy start?

In 2020 an article titled ‘Why Liverpool won’t win the Premier League this season’ was published that stated, that due to the intense nature of the Premier League, “the fittest teams who have the best benches and the best injury prevention invariably win.”

In the article, the journalist claims a source at the club said 22 out of the 35 players at Liverpool at the time are asthmatic, which is interesting because that is 63% of the squad, compared to the 12% UK average.

This is where the controversy begins because, statistically speaking, how can many from a team of elite athletes’ report being asthmatic when, in general, it is quite a rare condition.

This has led to the Liverpool asthma conspiracy theory, as fans are questioning the authenticity of the Liverpool players’ diagnoses, as well as bringing the wider legal doping regulations into the spotlight.

As the Premier League is renowned for its frantic pace, being incredibly physically demanding and requiring extreme fitness levels, if a team can legally increase their overall fitness levels, they will do so. It is not their job to uphold a strong moral compass, all these teams do is focus on finding ways to win, and if that means a loophole then so be it.

It is worth mentioning that in athletes, asthma is more common than you would expect. As elite athletes will exercise beyond the limits of people who do not exercise or even amateur athletes, they can suffer from exercise-induced bronchospasm, which according to studies is prevalent in around 10% of the general population and 20% to 50% of elite athletes, especially those engaged in high-intensity aerobic exercise.

Liverpool reached 3 cup finals and was challenged for the Premier League title, meaning they played every single game they could. And they have done so at a high intensity for the last 4 or 5 years. Liverpool’s aggressive pressing style and the abnormally few injuries to the squad over this time do suggest something has enhanced their performance.

What medication are the players taking?

By being diagnosed as asthmatic, clubs can prescribe a medication called salbutamol. Salbutamol relaxes the muscles of the airways into the lungs so is a tremendous help for anyone who is asthmatic or has difficulties breathing, and so it has the potential to be used as a performance enhancer for people without asthma.

What it does is it opens the lungs, making it easier for oxygen to pass through the lungs, which means the athlete can get more oxygen in so they can fuel the muscles more so they can go for longer, which obviously can be very beneficial for athletes.

Controversy around Salbutamol

In 2010, Salbutamol was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list, so there is concern over its ability to increase physical performance.

It has been an issue in cycling as British cyclist Chris Froome was investigated after he was found to have used Salbutamol during 2017 Vuelta an Espana, an event that he won.

He was cleared of any wrongdoing as he is said to suffer from asthma, but cynics suggest it was his high profile that cleared his name, as other cyclists, such as Diego Ulissi and Alessandro Petacchi were suspended for 9 and 12 months respectively, due to testing positive for Salbutamol, while Bradley Wiggins, a Tour de France winner, was allowed to compete on salbutamol.

So, despite it being on the World Anti-Doping’s prohibited list, it is allowed for exceptions. For the FA, their prohibited list allows a certain amount of salbutamol, so it is not against the rules of what Liverpool is potentially doing. As I said, it is their job to win the game, but does that mean other clubs are doing it?

Is ‘doping’ in football a real thing?

There are cases where individual footballers have tested positive for banned substances but there are no documented cases where entire clubs are doping.

The Bayern Munich model must be looked at as if they are machines when it comes to creating elite athletes, similarly, how can Real Madrid explain the change in the physique of players like Ronaldo and Bale?

RB Leipzig has an East German doping criminal in charge of their sports medicine, Leicester City players visited Dr Mark Bonar who said in an undercover interview back in 2016 that he prescribed banned substances for more than 150 top athletes, including players from major premier league clubs, and he was struck off soon after this interview came to light.

Leicester’s 2016 Premier League win is looking suspicious now, right?

Clubs associated with Mark Bonar denied any wrongdoing and that they fully comply with all anti-doping rules and regulations, which may be true. Liverpool very well may have acted by the rules as laid out by the current system.

But does this current system prevent any cheating from occurring? Or is it even cheating if everyone has access to the same medications?

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5 thoughts on “The Liverpool Asthma Conspiracy Theory”

  1. This was recently discussed on a BBC radio 4 program.

    There’s some issues.

    Anyone can say – I hear club X do this. No proof needed and the claim would be a massive breach of personal data.

    The only claim comes from an account in Russia who’s pro Putin and very keen to claim doping in Western sport is rife.

    It’s very likely to just be propaganda.

    Listen for yourself.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bl03?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

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