Putting passion into the beautiful game

Last month the BBC reported that a Bolivian football team's former physiotherapist had an unusual treatment to improve performance at high altitude (on the pitch that is.. anything else was a bonus I’m sure). He gave players Viagra.

Rodrigo Figueroa told La Prensa newspaper he had prescribed Viagra, which oxygenates the blood, to at least nine players in his team, Blooming. The team is from Santa Cruz which is400m (1,300ft) above sea level. They were playing in the capital La Paz which is more than 3,500m (over 11,000 feet)

He stressed that Viagra was not on the list of banned drugs"We prescribed it for several players, especially those who suffered most from altitude," said Mr Figueroa. He had, he explained, administered the product by mixing it with fruit juice.

Hmm I suppose his idea was to turn the inexperienced into hardened players who could mount a stiff defence and penetrate their opponent’s (penalty) box. Damn I can only think of three smutty double entendres... I must be slipping!