Mudryk appeals to arbitration court against four-year doping ban

Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea took action against Tribunal Arbitral of Esporte (CAS) to contest a four-year suspension imposed by Federação Inglesa of Futebol (FA) for anti-doping rule violations. The appeal was filed after reports confirmed the long-term sanction against the player, who has already been serving a provisional suspension since December 2024.

In a statement, CAS confirmed receipt of the appeal and informed that the parties are in the process of exchanging documents. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

Acusação and chronology of events

Federação Inglesa formally accused Mudryk in June last year, almost seven months after his provisional suspension. The positive result of the anti-doping test was announced shortly after the player returned from international commitments with the Ukrainian national team in November 2024.

Mudryk’s last game was in Chelsea’s 2-0 victory away against Heidenheim, for Conference League, on November 28, 2024. Três days later, he was on the bench without taking the field in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa for Premier League.

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Regras suspended for doping

In accordance with Regulamento 77 of the FA anti-doping policy, a four-year suspension is applied in two specific scenarios:

• Violação involving unspecified substance, unless the player or his team proves that the infraction was not intentional
• Violação involving a specific substance when the FA can demonstrate that the infringement was intentional

The exact duration of the sanction will depend on the category of substance detected and aggravating or mitigating circumstances according to the regulation.

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Defesa of Mudryk and club positioning

In a statement released at the time of his provisional suspension, Mudryk stated that the positive result was “a complete shock” and denied any blame. “I hadn’t done anything wrong,” said the player.

Chelsea publicly supported his defense, communicating that Mudryk “never knowingly used any prohibited substance.” The club said, at the time, that it would provide full support to the player during the process.

Quando contacted on Wednesday for comment on the appeal to the CAS, both the FA and Chelsea refused to issue new positions.

Trajetória from Mudryk into Chelsea

The Ukrainian striker joined Chelsea in January 2023 from Shakhtar Donetsk for £88 million, in one of the biggest signings in the club’s history. However, since then he has been unable to consolidate his place in the team.

In 73 games across all competitions, he scored just 10 goals. Seu’s performance below expectations generated criticism and questions about the investment made. The anti-doping suspension now takes him away from the field at a time when his continuity at the club was uncertain.

Próximos steps

The CAS process must be long. Conforme the arbitration court informed, the parties are in the initial documentation stage, and no hearing has been scheduled to date. The outcome could take months to be defined, keeping Mudryk’s situation in suspense during this period.