Athletic Bilbao defender Yeray Álvarez has been handed a 10-month suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance contained in a hair-loss medication linked to his cancer treatment.
The 30-year-old returned a positive test for canrenone, a diuretic that can act as a masking agent, following Bilbao’s 3-0 Europa League semi-final defeat to Manchester United in May.
Uefa acknowledged Álvarez’s explanation that the substance entered his system through a prescribed medicine used to treat alopecia. The Spaniard, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, said he had been taking the medication for hair loss as part of his long-term treatment plan.
While European football’s governing body accepted there was no intent to enhance performance, the defender was still judged guilty of a “non-intentional anti-doping rule violation.”
Álvarez has already been under a provisional ban since June, meaning his punishment has been backdated. He will be eligible to resume training from 2 February 2026 and make a competitive return on 2 April 2026.
Since graduating from Bilbao’s academy, Álvarez has made 257 senior appearances for the Basque club.
