September 9 – Athletic Club’s Yeray Álvarez has been handed a 10-month ban by UEFA for taking a banned substance found in a medicine used to prevent hair loss following his cancer treatment.
The 30-year-old Spaniard tested positive for canrenone – a diuretic that can sometimes be used as a masking agent – after a 3-0 defeat by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals in May.
Alvarez, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, said he has been taking the medicine as part of his treatment for hair loss ever since.
Following an investigation, UEFA found him guilty on Monday of committing a “non-intentional anti-doping rule violation”.
Alvarez had already accepted a provisional suspension in June, and the sanction has been backdated, so he will be able to play again from 2 April 2026 and can rejoin training sessions from 2 February.
Alvarez has made 257 appearances for Bilbao since coming through the academy.