Football has just delivered a tough piece of news for one of its own. Yeray Álvarez, the talented 30-year-old Spanish defender from Athletic Club, is facing a significant setback. UEFA has hit him with a ten-month ban from the game. This comes after he tested positive for a prohibited substance in a doping control.
The positive test happened after a Europa League semi-final match last season. That game was against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United. Lab results showed Canrenone in Yeray’s system. This substance is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) forbidden list, under category S5. This category includes diuretics and masking agents.
Yeray didn’t shy away from the situation. He released a statement explaining his side of the story. He admitted to undergoing treatment for alopecia, commonly known as hair loss. This treatment began after he successfully battled testicular cancer. “After looking into my case,” Yeray stated, “we figured out my positive result was because I accidentally took medicine for hair loss. It turns out that medicine had a forbidden substance.”
He explained that the disciplinary process is still private and being looked into. Because of this, he’s temporarily suspended and can’t say more publicly. “I’m really sorry about this,” he added, “but with my club’s help, I’m working on my defense. I truly believe I’ll get back on the field as soon as possible.” Yeray accepted this provisional ban on June 2, 2025. That date marks the official start of his time away from the game.
UEFA later confirmed Yeray’s “unintentional violation of anti-doping rules.” They verified his suspension would last until April 2, 2026. The organization provided more details about the incident. On May 1, 2025, Yeray took an in-competition doping control after a UEFA Europa League game. A lab approved by WADA checked his sample. That’s when they found Canrenone. This substance is always banned, whether in or out of competition, according to WADA’s 2025 list.
Yeray agreed to a voluntary provisional suspension on June 2, 2025. UEFA then started its official disciplinary process against him on June 10, 2025. Two UEFA ethics and discipline inspectors investigated the matter thoroughly. The case then went to UEFA’s disciplinary board for a final decision. On August 19, 2025, the board decided to suspend Yeray for ten months. This suspension runs from June 2, 2025, to April 2, 2026. They ruled it was an unintentional breach of the anti-doping rules.
Athletic Club has also spoken out about their player’s situation. They confirmed the outcome. “UEFA decided Yeray made a mistake and gave him a ten-month penalty,” the club announced. “The penalty started on June 2, because Yeray willingly accepted the temporary ban. This means he can play again starting April 2, 2026.”
