Athletic Bilbao defender Yeray Alvarez has been given a 10-month ban for taking a banned substance found in a medicine used to prevent hair loss, a side effect of his cancer treatment.
The 30-year-old Spaniard tested positive for canrenone following a 3-0 defeat by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals in May. Canrenone is a diuretic that can sometimes be used as a masking agent.
UEFA accepted Alvarez’s defense that he mistakenly ingested the substance by taking a preventative medicine for alopecia, which contained canrenone. Alvarez, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, said he has been taking the medicine as part of his treatment for hair loss ever since.
Although UEFA accepted Alvarez’s explanation and said he did not intend to take a banned substance, he was found guilty of a “non-intentional anti-doping rule violation.”
Given Alvarez accepted a provisional suspension in June, the sanction has been backdated. He will be able to play again from April 2, 2026, and can rejoin training sessions from February 2. Alvarez has made 257 appearances for Bilbao since coming through the academy.
Source: BBC