Frank de Boer, Jaap Stam, Edgar Davids: The three of them connects a positive drug test. At the beginning of the millenial each one was caught with nandrolone. De Boer talked about it, again, in an interview on dutch tv. Guest contribution by\u00a0Francois Duchateau<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n In a tv interview Ajax coach Frank de Boer took a stand again on the reasons of his positive doping test from 2001. He never took vitamin pills from the Dutch Football Association KNVB again after the positive test, he said. But those were not to blame for the elevated quantities of nandrolone by the former Barcelona player.<\/p>\n Frank de Boer is often called \u201ethe Dutch Guardiola\u201c and indeed there are a few parallels between the 112 times Dutch international and the future Bayern coach, not only many years (also together) in the shirt of FC Barcelona. Both players won European cups, trained under Louis van Gaal and adore the football philosophy of Johan Cruyff. Right away the model pupils collected silverware with their 4-3-3 and their obsession for talents at their first station as head coach. But their cv has one black spot in common: As\u00a0many stars<\/a>\u00a0at that time,\u00a0Guardiola<\/a>\u00a0and de Boer were tested positive on nandrolone.<\/p>\n After the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarter final 2001 against Celta de Viga a four times elevated quantity of nandrolone\u00a0was found<\/a>\u00a0in the urine of the Dutchman (8,6 nanogram per ml. The maximum permissible value for men is 2,0). Because elevated quantities of the anabolic steroid were also\u00a0found at the urine Oranje team mate Edgar Davids<\/a>\u00a0(2,7), vitamin pills of the Dutch national team\u00a0came under suspicion<\/a>. Both played for different clubs during that moment: \u201eElftal\u201c captain de Boer in Barcelona, vice captain Davids at Juventus. Later also Jaap Stam\u00a0was tested positive<\/a>\u00a0on nandrolone (5,5). FCB colleague Phillip Cocu took the effervescent tablet variant of the food supplement, because\u00a0he had problems with slugging the big pills<\/a>. His urine tests were as unsuspicious as the\u00a0ones of Patrick Kluivert<\/a>, who also played for the Catalans during that time.<\/p>\n After the positive doping test (also the B sample showed an elevated nandrolone quantity), the UEFA banned\u00a0de Boer for one year<\/a>, but only for international matches. The FIFA\u00a0took the suspension over<\/a>. De Boer denied the accusation and called for appeal.<\/p>\n The world cup winner for clubs of 1995 spent a fortune to prove his innocence. When an association is able to present a positive doping test, the player has the burden of proof. As sportsman you are responsible for your body and have to prove to have not doped on purpose. De Boer (329 matches for Ajax) asked specialists and lawyers for advise and even travelled overseas. In the meantime it was speculated if the elevated nandrolone quantity was caused by a salve de Boer gave his daughter, but this theory does not explain Davids\u2019 suspicious tests, though.<\/p>\n Ban reduced, but no absolution<\/strong> Spanish scientists\u00a0have speculated<\/a>\u00a0if multi vitamin pills in combination with cholesterol could produce steroid hormones. Generally there was a big\u00a0back and forth<\/a>\u00a0in the debate of interpretations of nandrolone tests.<\/p>\n Like Christoph Daum, Frank de Boer finished his hard slog\u00a0with hair sample by his own accord<\/a>. The sample\u00a0could not prove<\/a>\u00a0conscious and structural doping in the end. With the conclusion that de Boer had unknowingly taken the banned substance \u201eby means of contaminated food supplements\u201c he didn\u2019t reach an absolution, but his ban by the UEFA\u00a0was reduced to eleven weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Derksen meets de Boer<\/strong>
\nDe Boer\u2019s nandrolone tests were above peak value, but there are debates if you can speak about doping after a such a dose. A comparison: Linford Christie was tested with 200 nanogram per ml \u2013 a hundred times higher as the maximum permissible value. Professor van Rossum from Nijmegen has the opinion that elevated nandrolone quantities need to be found over a longer period if you want to talk about conscious doping. First\u00a0after the 14th doping test<\/a>\u00a0of the season an abnormality at Edgar Davids was found.<\/p>\n
\nDuring his tv interview series \u201eDerksen & \u2026\u201c Voetbal International\u00a0chief editor Johan Derksen<\/a>\u00a0asked Frank de Boer again about the happenings from 2001. The interview was broadcasted on Monday 26th February 2013. Frank de Boer told the journalist the following:<\/p>\n