Post by Salem6 on Jan 27, 2004 9:25:48 GMT
Associated Press
Turin, Italy — Zinedine Zidane appeared in court Monday and testified in a drug trial involving his former club Juventus.
The 2003 FIFA player of the year said he took creatine, a permitted nutritional supplement, during his five-year tenure with the Turin club, from 1996 to 2001.
"I took creatine only when I played with Juventus," Zidane was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. "It never happened before, in France, or now in Spain."
Juventus CEO Antonio Giraudo and team doctor Riccardo Agricola are accused of giving players banned substances in the 1990s.
Agricola has told the court that all the drugs were administered for players' health, not to illicitly improve their performances.
Zidane also said that he was given vitamins intravenously, "according to what the doctor said."
"They are useful, I need vitamins to play 70 games per year," Zidane was quoted as saying.
Zidane had skipped two previous calls to testify in the trial, saying he was busy playing for his current club, Real Madrid. He is now sidelined with a thigh injury.
Gianluca Vialli, another former Juventus star, also appeared in court Monday to testify.
www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040126.wzidan26/BNStory/Sports/
Turin, Italy — Zinedine Zidane appeared in court Monday and testified in a drug trial involving his former club Juventus.
The 2003 FIFA player of the year said he took creatine, a permitted nutritional supplement, during his five-year tenure with the Turin club, from 1996 to 2001.
"I took creatine only when I played with Juventus," Zidane was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency. "It never happened before, in France, or now in Spain."
Juventus CEO Antonio Giraudo and team doctor Riccardo Agricola are accused of giving players banned substances in the 1990s.
Agricola has told the court that all the drugs were administered for players' health, not to illicitly improve their performances.
Zidane also said that he was given vitamins intravenously, "according to what the doctor said."
"They are useful, I need vitamins to play 70 games per year," Zidane was quoted as saying.
Zidane had skipped two previous calls to testify in the trial, saying he was busy playing for his current club, Real Madrid. He is now sidelined with a thigh injury.
Gianluca Vialli, another former Juventus star, also appeared in court Monday to testify.
www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040126.wzidan26/BNStory/Sports/