Athletic Bilbao centre-back Yeray Alvarez has been provisionally suspended after testing optimistic for a banned substance, which he claims he inadvertently took as a part of a remedy for alopecia.
Alvarez examined optimistic following Athletic’s 3-0 loss to Manchester United within the Europa League semi-finals on Could 1.
The defender, who was identified with testicular most cancers in 2016, insists he has by no means knowingly taken a banned substance and that his optimistic take a look at stemmed from drugs used to deal with hair loss.
In an announcement posted on his social media accounts, Alvarez wrote: “A number of weeks in the past I used to be advised that I had examined optimistic in a doping management carried out by UEFA after the primary leg of the Europa League semi-finals in opposition to Manchester United. Receiving that information was a really laborious blow and, truthfully, I couldn’t imagine it, since I’ve by no means used prohibited substances in my life.
“Since I overcame my sickness, I’ve been following a remedy in opposition to alopecia for years and, after finding out the case, we now have discovered that the optimistic was as a result of I involuntarily took a preventive drugs in opposition to hair loss that contained a prohibited substance.
— Yeray (@yerayalvarez4) July 10, 2025
“The disciplinary process is presently within the investigation section and topic to confidentiality, so I’m provisionally suspended and I’m not authorised to make extra public statements.
“I wish to inform you all that I’m very sorry for this case however that, with the help of the membership, I’m working in my defence with the conviction of having the ability to return to the enjoying fields as quickly as potential. As soon as the method is accomplished, I’ll give all the mandatory explanations.
“I wish to thank Athletic Membership for its help and backing from the primary second and categorical my confidence in justice and sports activities establishments.”
Athletic added in an announcement on their web site: “As Yeray himself has identified, the process is within the investigation section and topic to confidentiality, so the membership will not be authorised to make extra public statements on this matter.
“As soon as the method is accomplished, Yeray Alvarez and the Athletic Membership will provide all the reasons which might be related and obligatory.
“The Athletic Membership needs to specific its full help for Yeray Álvarez at the moment and its full confidence within the our bodies in control of resolving the case.”
