The Chelsea soccer player received the maximum sanction after testing positive for Meldonio. The Ukrainian denies using banned substances and will appeal to the TAS
Mykhailo Mudryk received some of the worst news of his career. In the last few hours, the Football Association of England (FA) sanctioned the Ukrainian winger Chelsea with a four-year suspension for an anti-doping violation, after having tested positive forMeldonio in a test carried out at the end of
2024.
The news was announced by journalist Ben Jacobs and represents a very hard blow for the 25-year-old soccer player, who hasn't played officially since last November. However, the case is not yet closed: the attacker filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS) with the intention of reversing or
Mudryk had been provisionally suspended in December 2024 and months later the FA formalized charges for alleged anti-doping violations after detecting the banned substance in a urine sample.
From the beginning of the process, the player denied having consciously consumed illegal substances and maintained that the result of the control took him “by surprise”. This defensive strategy is now maintained in the appeal filed with the CAS.
While the investigation progressed, the Ukrainian was sidelined from the activity in Chelsea and was unable to even train at the London club's facilities. According to British media, during this time he had to rent fields for lower category equipment to stay physically active
.
On the other hand, the case keeps open the question about the origin of meldonium. According to the BBC, the soccer player had been in contact with the substance during a rally of the Ukrainian national team, although the federation of that country rejected any responsibility of doctors or members of the coaching staff
. Mudryk had been removed from Chelsea and was training on his own
The case recalls the precedent of Paul Pogba, who initially received a four-year suspension for doping and then managed to reduce it to 18 months after turning to the TAS. Precisely, Mudryk hired the same law firm that worked in the defense of the French midfielder
.
The situation also has a strong economic and sporting impact for Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk, the club from which the soccer player was transferred in January 2023 for about 70 million euros. Part of the operation included bonuses for sporting objectives that might not be achieved due to the player's prolonged inactivity
.
Now, the definition will remain in the hands of the TAS. If the sanction is maintained, Mudryk will stay away from professional football during a key stage
his short stint with the Blues between the beginning of 2023 and the end of 2024, the Ukrainian played 3,611 minutes, spread over 73 games, in which he scored 10 goals and gave 11 assists. In terms of titles, he won one: the Conference League 2024/25
