Belgian FA suspends Kaklamanos five months

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -- Greek forward Alexandros Kaklamanos received a five-month ban from the Belgian Football Association on Friday following his positive test for cocaine.

Kaklamanos tested positive for the banned recreational drug after playing for his Belgian club Standard Liege against FC Brussels on August 28.

He was immediately suspended by Standard and was sacked by the club in October when the B sample also proved positive.

The ban announced by the Belgian FA's Control Commission on Friday runs until April 18, 2005. It is likely to be extended to apply worldwide by world soccer's ruling body FIFA.

The Commission took into consideration the fact that Kaklamanos had never been sanctioned by the Belgian FA before, had a good reputation and had already been fired by Standard, as well as the fact that the testing of the B sample took an unusually long time.

The suspension is shorter than the six-month minimum FIFA recommends for such an offence.

"That is because the Belgian FA has to follow Belgian civil law in doping cases," Belgian FA spokesman Nicolas Cornu said.

"But our national authorities have agreed that the Belgian FA will apply the same rules as FIFA starting this December."

Two weeks ago Romanian striker Adrian Mutu was banned by the English FA for seven months for cocaine use. He was also sacked by his club Chelsea.

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.