Did West Germany dope their way to victory in football and athletics?

West Germany team of 1954, who became the World Champions by defeating Hungary

A 800-page document, titled as ‘Doping in Germany from 1950 to Today’, based on a study licensed by German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and Federal Institute of Sport Science in 2008, has raised doubts over doping by West German teams stretching from the 1950s to the 1990s.

A research by Berlin’s Humboldt University has revealed that West Germany taxpayers had funded the country’s systematic drugs programme designed to help their athletes achieve more than what they possibly could.

It is also alleged that three unnamed players, who represented West Germany in their 2-4 loss to England in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley, had been tested positive for banned analeptic ephedrine.

Ephedrine can act as a decongestant, a substance that relieves mucus congestion of the upper respiratory tract.

The report says: “The hitherto unknown letter from FIFA official Dr Mihailo Andrejevic informs the president of the German athletics federation, Dr Max Danz, that in doping tests conducted by FIFA at the end of the 1966 World Cup, three players of the German team had “slight traces” of ephedrine.”

However, FIFA and German federation denied any such reports.

Further the report also insinuates the 1954 West German team which fortuitously defeated the Magical Magyars of Hungary 3-2 in the World Cup final.

The achievement was so staggering that it is still being referred to as the Miracle of Berne. It is alleged that the players were injected with Pervitin, an amphetamine-based drug created by Nazi scientists to make soldiers more efficient and last longer in battles.

The study doesn’t spare the 1974 World Cup winning side, led by the great Franz Beckenbauer, as well.

The report also divulges that the senior politicians, doctors and officials played a major part in this chicanery, according to the Dailymail.

The report implicates Dr Joseph Keul, the head of the West German Olympic team’s doctors who is better known for his fight to dislodge anabolic steroids from the illicit list of drugs during his time, as the mastermind of the entire programme.

The cause of death of many athletes who were involved in the drug programme remain undisclosed. However, there are few reports that have come out.

The autopsy report of Birgit Dressel, a leading heptathlete, who died of multiple organ failure in 1987, aged 26, showed traces of 101 medicines in her body. Richard Herrmann, a member of 1960 European Cup finalists, died of cirrhosis in 1968, aged 39.

DOSB president Thomas Bach, standing for the IOC presidency, said: “This is a good day for the fight against doping. A commission will now evaluate the report and give recommendations with regard to the tasks as well as about the future improvements of the fight against doping.

“I am confident we can reach our goals to have full knowledge about the past and learn the lessons for the future. This will strengthen our zero-tolerance policy.”