Former Real Sociedad goalkeeper Sander Westerveld says players at the club did receive injections before and after games, but were not doping.
Former President Inaki Badiola has claimed that the club were indirectly linked between 2002 and 2008 at least with doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who is on trial for alleged doping offences.
Documentation seized from Fuentes, who faces up to two years in jail on a charge of a ‘crime against public health’, included the name ‘Rsoc’, leading to speculation that Badiola’s claims may be true.
However, following on from the club’s denial, former goalkeeper Westerveld, who spent 2001 to 2005 on the books at Anoeta, has denied that doping ever took place at the club.
“Of course at Real Sociedad there were players who received intravenous injections before and after games,” explained the 38-year-old to Voetbal International.
“Considering all of the recent stories, I will not put my hand in the fire for anyone. But I never saw or noticed anything unusual that someone would have received.
“I never noticed anything that would improve my performance particularly.
“In 2002-03 [when La Real finished as League runners up], we did that with football of technical and tactical quality. Football is not about fighting at full throttle for 90 minutes.”
Westerveld called Badiola’s claims ‘strange’ and asserted that he needs to back them up with ‘names’.