Our very own Allan Saint-Maximin, who lit up St James’ Park with his dazzling runs and infectious smile, has been making headlines for very different reasons this week.
The former Toon winger has just dropped a massive bombshell, accusing his former loan club, Fenerbahce, of doping him last season.
Saint-Maximin spent last season on loan in Turkey with the Super Lig giants from his current club, Al-Ahli, in Saudi Arabia. But it seems his time there was far from smooth sailing. While he struggled to hit the heights he reached with us in the Premier League, it now appears there was a whole lot more going on behind the scenes than just a dip in form.
The shocking allegations
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In a lengthy interview with Zack Nani, ASM pulled no punches. He claimed that Fenerbahce’s failure to win the league was down to “factors other than football” surrounding the club. And then came the truly shocking part:
> _“At one point, they even tried to dope me. People do not know these things. You cannot talk about these things openly because they threaten you._
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> _“If you do, they say ‘we will do this and that to you’. Sometimes you find yourself in matters that go beyond football.”_
It paints a pretty grim picture of what was happening behind the scenes at Fenerbahce, but will also leave ‘ASM’ embroiled in a major legal battle.
Despite the turmoil, Saint-Maximin still managed to bag four goals and five assists in 31 appearances under Jose Mourinho. He was quick to praise Mourinho, suggesting the legendary manager also faced difficulties due to the club’s conduct.
This isn’t the first time Turkish football has been under scrutiny, and these allegations certainly won’t help. There have already been high-profile resignations and whispers of favouritism towards champions Galatasaray.
Mourinho and ASM issues
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It wasn’t all harmony between ASM and Mourinho, though. Back in March, Mourinho publicly questioned Saint-Maximin’s fitness after leaving him out of a Europa League squad:
> _“When a footballer trains well he will become fit, can climb stairs and does not need an elevator._
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> _“But if he doesn’t train well, if he comes in late and is overweight, he needs an elevator to go up because he gets tired very quickly on the stairs.”_
ASM quickly hit back on social media, posting that his weight was the same as when he was a key starter for us in 2022. He even captioned the post with a defiant: “Lying gives flowers, but does not bear fruit.” Mourinho, ever the wordsmith, then quipped that he didn’t know Saint-Maximin had a talent for poetry.
Maxi joined Al-Ahli from Newcastle in the summer of 2023 for £25m, but his career has certainly hit a snag since leaving Tyneside. While his time in Turkey was clearly a disappointment, these latest revelations shed a whole new light on his struggles.
It just goes to show, you never truly know what’s happening behind the scenes in football.