Unfavourable ruling for Athletic Club player Yeray Álvarez, 30 years old, who has been found guilty of doping, and has been given a ten-month sentence by UEFA. The club announced in July that the player was under investigation since May, when he was temporarily suspended. In a doping test before the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United, he tested positive for a banned substance.
The player denied taking performance-enhancing drugs, and it was instead an accidental contamination due to a treatment he takes against hair loss, after going through chemotherapy in 2017. UEFA accepted his explanation, that the player had no bad intentions, but nevertheless had to impose a sentence: "in accordance with current regulations, athletes are responsible for their own conduct and, consequently, the defender should have confirmed whether the medication was permitted before taking it."
As a result, he imposes a 10-month ban, which started when he voluntarily accepted the provisional suspension on June 2. He will be allowed to play again on April 2, 2026, and re-join training sessions two months earlier. Had UEFA not accepted his explanation, his bam would have been lasted over a year.