Athletic Club's Yeray Alvarez blames alopecia medicine for positive doping test result
Yeray said that he was informed that he had tested positive in a UEFA doping test following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final in May.
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The 30-year-old also said that he has been undergoing treatment for alopecia since recovering from testicular cancer, which he was first diagnosed with in 2016, with one form of medication containing a prohibited substance.
He described the news of the positive test as a 'very hard blow.'
'I could not believe it, given that I have never in my life consumed prohibited substances,' Yeray said in a post on Instagram.
'Since I overcame my illness, I have been undergoing treatment against alopecia for years and, after studying the case, we have established that the positive test was the result of my unintentionally taking a preventive medication against hair loss that contained a banned substance.
'The disciplinary proceeding is currently under investigation and subject to confidentiality, so I am provisionally suspended and am not authorised to make any further public statements.
'I would like to say to all of you that I am very sorry for 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 as soon as possible. Once the process is completed, I will give all the necessary explanations.'
Athletic expressed their support for Yeray in a statement and described the incident as 'human error.'
UEFA does not comment on any alleged cases of doping until a final disciplinary decision has been made.
Yeray has spent his entire career with Athletic. After coming through the club's academy and featuring for the reserve side, he made his first team debut in September 2016.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December of that year and returned to action just over a month-and-a-half later, though in June 2017 it was announced that an abnormality had been discovered and he required further treatment. He returned to competition in February of the following year.
Yeray has made 257 appearances for Athletic, scoring five goals and helping his side win the Supercopa de Espana in 2021 and the Copa del Rey in 2024.
(Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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