Zeman and Lippi clash over Juventus doping allegat

By Italian Football
November 29 2004

After ex-Juventus club Doctor Riccardo Agricola was handed a 22 month jail term on Friday after being found guilty of ‘sporting fraud' which included the use of the banned substance EPO. Marrcello Lippi found himself face to face with Zdenek Zeman , the Czech coach whose call for Italian football to "come out of the pharmacy" began the investigations that led to the Juve trial, on the Italian television show Sprint

Turin public magistrate Raffaele Guariniello had led an investigation of Juve's medical practices during the period 1994-98 when the club, coached by Lippi, won three Italian titles and the 1996 Champions League.

Juventus club doctor Riccardo Agricola was found guilty of 'sporting fraud' on Friday including use of the banned substance EPO but club chief executive Antonio Giraudo was cleared.

When asked about the verdict Lippi Stated: "I don't need to be satisfied or unhappy about a sentence," "Above all it is not definitive and also it does not change my appreciation and respect for all those people who worked with me at Juventus the coaches, directors and players,"

"My Juventus won because of the stratospheric moral strength that we had in that period," continued Lippi.

Chief executive Antonio Giraudo was cleared at Friday’s hearing, which he maintained made Juventus innocent of all charges, but Zeman maintained that Juventus had in fact lost the trial: "Juve say that they won but for me they lost. If a doctor is condemned for sporting fraud and doping that is something sad for football and for the club in question."

Some tense exchanges followed with Zeman over the use of morals by their respective clubs and Lippi referred to the Czech as a 'moralist', and questioned whether Zeman should remain in the game after his comments.

"To Zeman I would say that I don't think it is right to criticise a system and continue to be part of it," raged Lippi.

Zeman replied: "But I want to change things, to make things clean".
In a separate interview with Italy's Sky television, Zeman said the game deserved some answers from Juventus.

"I believe the others need to know they bought so much medicine," he said.
"The only thing that doesn't need analysis is the sentence against the doctor and until it is cancelled out, it is there," he said.

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