Mudryk's Four-Year Ban Lifted, He Immediately Returns to Football
Following changes to WADA's rules on meldonium, the 25-year-old Ukrainian and Chelsea reached a settlement with the English Football Association.
Following changes to WADA's rules on meldonium, the 25-year-old Ukrainian and Chelsea reached a settlement with the English Football Association.
Ukrainian footballer Mykhailo Mudryk (25) is eligible to play again after his long-running doping case was finally closed. On Friday, the FA, WADA, and the player himself announced an agreement that retroactively reduced the player's ban to time already served, as reported by the FA and Chelsea, and carried by 24sata Sport.
The winger for London club Chelsea thus immediately returns to training and competitive matches, having missed nearly two years of professional football. His four-year ban, imposed in April 2026 and set to run until 2028, has been effectively annulled.
Mudryk was suspended after testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance on WADA's list, in October 2024. The English Football Association provisionally sidelined him on December 17, 2024, and formal charges were filed in June 2025. The player consistently maintained that he did not knowingly take the prohibited substance and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The case was resolved through a settlement because WADA's technical guidelines had since been updated. As reported by Index.hr Gastro, the FA explained in a statement:
"There have been changes to WADA's technical document (TD2027MRL). Although these changes do not apply retroactively, they mean that the concentration of meldonium found in Mr. Mudryk's sample would not today be considered questionable or constitute a violation of anti-doping rules."
The association confirmed that the player is no longer under suspension and can immediately return to competition. Given the new rules, the amount of meldonium in Mudryk's sample would no longer be treated as a doping offense, so the original penalty was lifted, and only the suspension already served was recognized.
Mudryk took to Instagram to thank everyone who supported him.
"After a long fight, the four-year suspension imposed on me has been lifted, and I can immediately return to my career. I am grateful that this process has come to an end, that I am allowed to return to football, and that I can now look to the future. This has been the hardest period of my career. As I have maintained from the start of this case, I never knowingly or intentionally took any banned substance."
The Ukrainian emphasized that competing fairly and representing his club and national team professionally and honorably has always been important to him. He thanked his family, friends, everyone at Chelsea, teammates, fans, and his legal team.
"Now I am focused on returning to football, working hard every day, and making a positive contribution on the pitch. I look forward to the next chapter of my career."
The club said:
"This has been an incredibly difficult period for Misha from the start, both professionally and personally. We are glad this case is closed and that he can immediately return to football."
Mykhailo Mudryk joined Chelsea in January 2023 from Ukrainian side Shakhtar for €70 million, with a potential additional €30 million in bonuses, bringing the total transfer value to nearly €100 million. His contract with the London club runs until 2031.
His last official appearance for Chelsea was on November 28, 2024, in a 2-0 win over Heidenheim in the Conference League, and he watched the match against Aston Villa on December 1, 2024, from the bench. Then-manager Enzo Maresca attributed his absence to illness.
In total, he has made 73 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists. For the Ukrainian national team, he has played 25 matches, scored three goals, and registered five assists. According to Transfermarkt, he currently has no estimated value due to the earlier suspension. Mudryk will travel to Hong Kong on Sunday and join the squad.
