The Russians have always been a little bit bonkers throughout history, their most recent antics related to doping in sports has brought them backlash all over the world and generalized shame among athletes. However, there are some people who attempt to justify cheating in this manner as opposed to just being dignified and telling the truth in sports. To former Arsenal playmaker Andrey Arshavin, what his compatriots are doing in order to win competitions isn't wrong.
Talking to prospotkz.kz website, Arshavin said: "In my opinion, all cyclic sports are doping. It's simply impossible without doping. That means swimming, skiing, cycling. I think everyone dopes. Russia is paying for its political decisions, including in sport. Is it fair or unfair? Life isn't fair. Of course, this is a great tragedy for the athletes, especially the Olympians. For them, this is the World Cup and European Championship for footballers. We have every two years, with good players, earning good money at clubs, and they have the reverse.
"[They have] almost one or two chances in life to get an apartment, a normal premium…Of course I understand them, they are not in the best condition now. [There is doping] in football and hockey - to a lesser extent. In football, you cannot predict. In team sports, there's very little doping," he added.
Photo credit: Andrey Arshavin