UEFA confirm punishment for positive doping test after Man Utd fixture

Yeray Alvarez has been suspended until April 2026 after failing a doping test following Athletic Bilbao's 3-0 loss to Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final back in May.

Alvarez, 30, played the full game as Bilbao were soundly beaten at home by United, who advanced to the final with a 7-1 aggregate win after beating the La Liga outfit again at Old Trafford the following week.

UEFA confirmed in a statement on Monday morning that Alvarez would be suspended from competition for 10 months, though he is able to return to training in early February 2026. The statement read: "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.

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"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 ten (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."

Alvarez addressed the test in a social media post back in July where he said that the adverse findings were from a treatment for alopecia. "After studying the case, we have established that I tested positive because I unintentionally took a hair loss prevention medicine containing a banned substance," the defender said.

"The disciplinary procedure is currently under investigation and subject to confidentiality so I am provisionally suspended and am not authorised to make any further public statements.

"I very much regret this situation but, with the support of the club, I am working on my defence in the belief that I will be able to return to the field of play as soon as possible."

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