Credit: Google
The year 2025 has just given another jolt to the Spanish club Athletic Bilbao. Earlier, they suffered 7-1 aggregate defeat against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals, a match that ended their hopes of reaching the final at the home stadium aka San Mames. Now, the setback has struck the team involving their centre-back Yeray Alvarez. The 30-year-old Spaniard, who has been a mainstay in Bilbao’s defense since his debut in 2016, is now suspended from playing the game.
Yeray Alvarez has been suspended for 10 months by UEFA after testing positive for a banned substance, canrenone, which took place following the Europa League semi-finals first leg against Manchester United on May 1, 2025. Reports claim that he inadvertently ingested the substance through a medication prescribed to treat alopecia, a condition he developed after undergoing treatment for testicular cancer in 2016.
The ban, which UEFA deemed a “non-intentional anti-doping rule violation”, has been backdated to Alvarez’s voluntary provisional suspension on June 2, 2025, meaning he will be eligible to return to competitive action on April 2, 2026, and can resume training with his teammates on February 2, 2026. Alvarez underwent a routine doping test, and a WADA-accredited laboratory detected the presence of canrenone, a diuretic classified under category S5 of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List as a substance banned both in and out of competition due to its potential use as a masking agent.
Yeray Alvarez was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December 2016
In a social media post, Yeray Alvarez stated, “I could not believe it, given that I have never in my life consumed prohibited substances. After studying the case, we have established that the positive test was the result of my unintentionally taking a preventive medication against hair loss that contained a banned substance.” Diagnosed with testicular cancer in December 2016, he stepped away from football for treatment, returning to action in February 2017. However, an abnormality detected in June 2017 necessitated further treatment, and he resumed playing in February 2018. Since overcoming cancer, Alvarez has been managing alopecia, a side effect of his medical journey, with prescribed medication. Unbeknownst to him, this medication contained canrenone, leading to the failed doping test.
Athletic Bilbao issued a statement expressing unwavering support for Alvarez. “Athletic Club wishes to express its full support for Yeray Alvarez at this time and its complete confidence in the bodies charged with resolving the case,” the club reportedly declared. “Once the proceedings are concluded, Yeray Alvarez and Athletic Club will offer all the pertinent and necessary explanations.”
The club, which finished fourth in La Liga last season to secure a spot in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, now faces the challenge of navigating the early stages of the competition without one of its defensive linchpins. Alvarez, who has made 257 appearances for Bilbao, scoring five goals and contributing to their 2021 Supercopa de Espana and 2024 Copa del Rey triumphs, is a significant loss for Ernesto Valverde’s side. As Athletic Bilbao prepares for their Champions League campaign, with an opening match against Arsenal looming, the absence of Alvarez poses tactical challenges. His defensive partner, Aitor Paredes, and emerging talents like Dani Vivian will need to step up to fill the void.
