‘Most difficult period of my career’ — Mudryk reacts after CAS doping ruling

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has described the last 20 months as “the most difficult period” of his career after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cleared him to resume playing with immediate effect, bringing an end to his long-running anti-doping case.

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The 25-year-old made the remarks in a statement shared on his Instagram handle after CAS partially upheld his appeal against a four-year ban, allowing him to return to competitive football. The ruling followed an agreement between Mudryk, the Football Association, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Earlier on Friday, the BBC reported that Chelsea are set to reintegrate the Ukraine international into the squad, with the winger expected to join the club’s pre-season tour.

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“This has been the most difficult period of my career,” Mudryk wrote.

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He added: “I am grateful that this process has reached a conclusion, that I have been cleared to return to football and that I can now look ahead to my future.”

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Mudryk reiterated that he never knowingly or intentionally took a banned substance, insisting he had maintained that position from the beginning of the case.

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“As I have always maintained from the outset of this case, I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any banned substance. My commitment to competing fairly and representing my club and country with professionalism and integrity has always been important to me.”

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The Ukrainian international thanked his family, friends, Chelsea, his teammates, supporters and legal team for standing by him throughout the ordeal.

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“My focus now is on returning to football, working hard every day, and making a positive contribution on the pitch,” he said.

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Mudryk has not featured in a competitive match since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended following an adverse finding for meldonium during an out-of-competition test while on international duty with Ukraine.

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CAS ruled that changes to WADA’s technical reporting standards mean the low concentration of meldonium found in Mudryk’s sample would not have been reported if the test had been conducted under the current guidelines. As part of the settlement, the winger accepted a suspension equivalent to the period already served, making him immediately eligible to return.

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Chelsea welcomed the decision, saying they now look forward to helping Mudryk regain full fitness and resume his career with the first team.

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