After Mykhailo Mudryk was found to have taken a banned substance around a year and a half ago, the Chelsea FC professional is appealing against the doping ban imposed by the English Football Association. The Ukrainian was given the maximum sentence of four years.
In December 2024, Mykhailo Mudryk wrote of a “complete shock” shortly after the Chelsea FC winger tested positive for a banned substance. “I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I hope I can be back on the pitch soon,” Mudryk justified himself at the time, while also asserting that he had “never knowingly” taken the substance in question.
After the now 25-year-old played his last competitive match for the Blues on November 28, 2024 (2-0 in the Conference League at Heidenheim), the case has now been reopened. As a spokesperson for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) explained, Mudryk was given the maximum penalty of four years by the English Football Association.
The Ukrainian, who once moved to Chelsea for a base fee of €70 million, continues to maintain his innocence and has now lodged an appeal with CAS: “CAS confirms that it has received an appeal from Mykhailo Mudryk against the FA, which was lodged on February 25, 2026. The parties are currently exchanging written submissions and a hearing date has not yet been set,” it said in a statement obtained by the BBC.
Early return possible?
While Mudryk now has to wait for the CAS decision, the 28-time Ukraine international is keeping fit at an amateur club in London to prepare for his desired comeback. Should the appeal fail, a return would probably not be possible until December 2028.
The 25-year-old is now being represented by the same law firm that represented Paul Pogba during his doping trial. As the Frenchman could not be proven to have acted with intent, the CAS ultimately drastically reduced the original four-year ban to 18 months. An outcome that Mudryk also hopes for.
