Belgian player first to fail caffeine test

Three-month suspension
The 33-year-old Belgian has been handed a three-month suspension by the Belgian Football Association after a doping test revealed an extensive level of caffeine in his blood following a match against K. Lierse SK on 3 November 2001.

Unusual case
Herreman is the first player in Belgium to be banned for failing a drugs test, and the first footballer anywhere to be banned for using this particular drug.

Caffeine problem
The club stated that the drug was contained in the nose drops that Herreman was taking to relieve a headache, but it appeared that the named product does not contain caffeine. Even so, it is unlikely that the level of caffeine in a nose spray would be enough to exceed the 12 micrograms per millilitre which is permitted according to the international guidelines.

Herreman caught in Flemish territory
In an ironic twist of events, the Belgian association does not arrange doping controls as the Communauté Française (French speaking community) have different laws on that issue in relation to the Vlaamse Gemeenschap (the Flemish community) where Herreman was caught.

Long career
Herreman will not appeal against the sanction as he is out for the rest of the season following an operation on his anterior cruciate ligaments. Herreman started his first division career in 1987 at KSK Beveren and has played 432 matches in the Belgian league, with spells at KFC Germinal Ekeren, KAA Gent and KFC Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen before arriving at Charleroi this season.