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11th July 2025
11:42am BST
A player at one of Spanish football’s biggest clubs has been banned from playing in the country’s top division after testing positive for a banned substance.
Athletic Bilbao star Yeray Alvarez failed a drugs test after playing 90-minutes in the Basque side’s 3-0 Europa League semi-final loss to Manchester United.
He has been provisionally suspended by the Spanish Football Association while an investigation is carried out.
The 30-year-old defender says he unintentionally took a banned substance as a side effect of hair loss medication.
Responding to the claims on social media, Alvarez said: “After studying the case, we have established that I tested positive because I unintentionally took a hair loss prevention medicine containing a banned substance.”
Álvarez was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016 and had been taking hair loss medication to battle alopecia which he has suffered from following chemotherapy.
He added: "Since overcoming my illness, I have been undergoing treatment for alopecia for years, and after reviewing the case, we have determined that the positive result was due to my unintentional ingestion of a hair loss preventative medication containing a prohibited substance.
“The disciplinary procedure 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 very much regret 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 of play as soon as possible.”
Alvarez said: "I want to thank Athletic Club for their support and backing from the very beginning and express my confidence in the justice system and sports institutions."
His club publicly responded to the allegation, expressing support for their player: "Athletic Club regrets Yeray's human error and shows its full support"
"The player has posted a message on social media explaining that an error in his hair loss treatment has caused a positive result in a UEFA test.
"As Yeray himself has stated, the proceedings are currently under investigation and are subject to confidentiality, so the Club is not authorized to make any further public statements on this matter. Once the proceedings are concluded, Yeray Álvarez and Athletic Club will offer all the pertinent and necessary explanations."
"Athletic Club wishes to express its full support for Yeray Álvarez at this time and its complete confidence in the bodies charged with resolving the case."
After initially joining Athletic Bilbao's B-team in 2014, Alvarez has played more than 200 games for the club, scoring three goals.
He was part of the squad that won the Copa Del Rey in 2024.
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