RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 3 sourcesHEIDENHEIM, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 28: Mykhaylo Mudryk of Chelsea FC reacts during the UEFA Conference League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 and Chelsea FC at Voith-Arena on November 28, 2024 in Heidenheim, Germany. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mykhailo Mudryk’s doping case has been resolved today, as confirmed by Chelsea , The FA , and Mudryk himself, who’s now eligible to return to football with immediate effect. He’s expected to join with the preseason tour next week in Hong Kong.
The 25-year-old last played for Chelsea 20 months ago, in November of 2024, when a positive sample was discovered in a routine doping test during international duty with Ukraine. He was suspended provisionally and then eventually charged by The FA and banned for four years. That decision was then appealed by Mudryk and his lawyers (hoping to reduce that to just 18 months like it was in the case of Paul Pogba), and that appeal has now been positively resolved. Of course, he’s effectively served an 18-month ban anyway.
The even more infuriating aspect of these proceedings, beyond just how slow and non-transparent they were and how long everything took, is that a big part of the resolution was the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) changing their rules. The concentration of meldonium that was found in Mudryk’s sample in 2024 would no longer constitute a doping violation by 2026 rules — i.e. WADA now recognize that no competitive advantage is gained from the concentration of the substance that Mudryk had in his blood.
To his credit, Mudryk’s just ready to move and get back to playing.
“After a long battle, the four-year ban that was imposed on me has been rescinded and I am free to resume my career with immediate effect. I am grateful that this process has reached a conclusion, that I have been cleared to return to football and that I can now look ahead to my future.
“This has been the most difficult period of my career. As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance. My commitment to competing fairly and representing my club and country with professionalism and integrity has always been important to me.
“I would like to thank my family and friends for their support and belief throughout this period. I also want to express my deep gratitude to everyone at Chelsea FC, my teammates and the Chelsea supporters who have been with me throughout. I would also like to thank my legal team and others who assisted for their tireless work on my case. “My focus now is on returning to football, working hard every day, and making a positive contribution on the pitch. Thank you to everyone who continued to believe in me. I look forward to the next chapter of my career.”
-Mykhailo Mudryk; source: Instagram
Welcome back, Misha! Let’s get to work.
(Of course, whether Mudryk has any role left to play for Chelsea remains to be seen. It’s not like he was amazing before his ban, and he probably hasn’t gotten any better in the last two years. That may sound harsh, but he’s now also 25, so not exactly “young” anymore. Can we afford to carry him in the squad? I’m not so sure. Maybe a loan to Strasbourg?)
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