Yeray Alvarez banned for ten months after doping violation

The suspension follows a positive test after last season's Europa League match against Manchester United and will last until 2 April 2026.

The ban, backdated to the player's provisional suspension on 2 June, is linked to the ingestion of a preventative hair loss medication that contained a prohibited substance.

UEFA's disciplinary ruling allows him to return to training with the team or use club facilities during the final two months of his suspension, from 2 February 2026, under Article 10.14.2 of the organisation's Anti-Doping Regulations.

The positive test came from a sample collected on 1 May, after the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United. A WADA-accredited laboratory detected canrenone, a diuretic and masking agent banned both in and out of competition under category S5 of the 2025 WADA List of Prohibited Substances.

Alvarez voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension on 2 June, and disciplinary proceedings were opened on 10 June. Following an investigation by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors, the case was resolved on 19 August and made public on Monday.

The defender had announced his positive result on 10 July, insisting it was "involuntary" and linked to his long-term treatment for alopecia.

"I have never in my life consumed prohibited substances," he said at the time. "After studying the case, we verified that the positive test was due to a preventative hair loss medication I took unknowingly that contained a banned substance."

Athletic Club expressed full support for Yeray, describing the situation as a human error. The 30-year-old defender has previously battled testicular cancer, diagnosed in 2016, and remains a key figure for the team despite the suspension.