After playing against Ruben Amorim’s team in the Europa League semi-final last season, an Athletic Club player who faced Manchester United failed a drug test.
When United defeated the La Liga powers 3-0 in the first leg at San Mames, Yeray Alvarez, 30, started at center-back. Officials at the stadium chose him for a random drug test following the game.
After testing positive for a prohibited substance a little more than four months later, UEFA said in a statement that the defender had “accepted a voluntary provisional suspension, having effect from that date.” Since then, the Spaniard has stated that the chemical in his body is a result of a medication he used to cure alopecia.
In their statement, UEFA wrote: “On 1 May 2025, Athletic Club player Yeray Alvarez underwent an in-competition doping control carried out by UEFA following a UEFA Europa League match.
“The analysis of the player’s sample by a WADA-accredited laboratory revealed the presence of Canrenone, which is a substance prohibited in- (and out-) of competition under the category S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List.
“On 2 June 2025, the player accepted a voluntary provisional suspension having effect from that date. Following the opening of disciplinary proceedings against the player – on 10 June 2025 – two UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors conducted an investigation and the case was submitted to the UEFA disciplinary bodies for decision.
“At its meeting on 19 August 2025, the relevant UEFA disciplinary body decided to suspend the player for 10 months, starting from the date of the provisional suspension (i.e. 2 June 2025) and ending on 2 April 2026, for committing a non-intentional anti-doping rule violation.
“In accordance with Article 10.14.2 of the UEFA Anti-Doping Regulations, the player may return to train with a team or use the facilities of a club in the last two months of his period of ineligibility, i.e. as of 2 February 2026.”
Speaking on his social media page, Alvarez wrote: “After studying the case, we have established that I tested positive because I unintentionally took a hair loss prevention medicine containing a banned substance.
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