FC Barcelona and Holland get De Boer back

FC Barcelona captain Frank De Boer is free to play the coming season and take part in the 2002 World Cup finals after UEFA cut his ban for failing a drug test.

The defender had originally been suspended on June 14th for one year but this has been cut to August 31st.

"In February Barcelona gave me two or three yellow tablets because my level of white blood cells was low," De Boer told Spanish radio station Radio Marca last night after his appeal was heard in Nyon.

"I am not blaming Barcelona, but this has to be investigated further. It is possible that these tablets were responsible for the positive test."

The defender tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone after a UEFA Cup quarter final against Celta Vigo on March 15th.

De Boer's Dutch international team mate Edgar Davids also produced a positive test for nandrolone in March and there was speculation that the results could have been caused by food supplements taken when the pair were with the national squad.

A subsequent investigation by the Dutch FA found the supplements to contain no traces of nandrolone.

"The truth is that it is dangerous to take any multi-vitamins because they may cause a positive test at any time. The medical experts need to do a lot more investigation into the matter.

"I do, however, trust the doctors from the Dutch Federation and from Barcelona," said the 31 year old De Boer.

The former Ajax star testified for five hours yesterday and Juventus are to use the verdict in Nyon to try to clear Davids of the drug abuse claims made after his failed test.