Manchester City’s historic feat of securing four consecutive top-flight titles marks a watershed moment in the English Premier League, an achievement unmatched in the sport’s 135-year history. Under the astute leadership of Pep Guardiola, Manchester City has emerged victorious an astounding six times over the last seven seasons. However, this victory came after Guardiola faced a fair share of challenges.

Guardiola’s career encountered a significant hurdle in 2001 when he twice tested positive for nandrolone after matches against Piacenza and Lazio. Despite facing intense scrutiny and controversy, Guardiola’s tactical brilliance steered Manchester City to yet another triumph. However, even amidst victory, Enhanced Games, which support performance-enhancing drugs mocked him for his victory, casting a shadow over his achievement.

A jarring twist in celebration of Manchester City’s manager

Recently, Enhanced Games posted on their X account, sharing images of Pep Guardiola along with a celebratory message: “🏆Congrats @ManCity for your historic 4th consecutive @premierleague title. And to our favourite Enhanced football coach, Pep Guardiola, for his 6th @premierleague title. 😎⚽️”

At a glance, the post seemed like a message of congratulations with the right emojis and excitement praising the remarkable successes of Manchester City and Guardiola. However, the post took a different turn when read below the congratulatory message. The post also added an article from The Guardian publication titled, “Guardiola fails drug test.”

While Enhanced Game captioned it, “Guardiola fails drug test, testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid nandrolone.“ This unexpected turn of events was a satirical move, by Enhanced Games using sarcasm that sharply contrasted the original message. However, after testing positive for a banned substance, Guardiola was handed a four-month ban in January 2002.

A significant mitigating factor in his sentence was his claim of unawareness regarding the banned nature of the substances he had taken. Years later, he was fully acquitted of all charges, vindicating his steadfast stance. While looking at the concept of enhanced games, athletes can pursue their dreams by competing in the Olympic Games, where they have the opportunity to not only participate at the highest level but also potentially break world records.

The vision of the Enhanced Games

Aron D’Souza, the founder of the Enhanced Games, expresses a bold vision for this annual event. Athletes can compete in five key sports: athletics, swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting, and combat sports. But they also will be allowed to use performance-enhancing drugs both in training and during competition.

One notable athlete to embrace the Enhanced Games is James Magnussen, the Australian former Olympic swimmer. Having retired in 2019 with a silver and a bronze from the 2012 Olympics, Magnussen is the first high-profile competitor to sign up, attracted by the promise of significant financial rewards.

D’Souza is prepared for this game with substantial investments, offering over $1 million for each world record set and a generous base salary for the initial cohort of approximately two dozen athletes. While details remain sparse due to “commercial confidentiality,” D’Souza is actively seeking further support through broadcasting deals, primarily with streaming platforms, as he works to expand the roster of participating athletes.