One of Manchester United’s opponents in one of their biggest games of last season has been banned from football for the majority of the upcoming season.
Successful away trip
Owing to the club’s highly frustrating 0-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in May, United fans will not look back at last season’s competition with much fondness.
Nonetheless, the Red Devils went a massive 14 games unbeaten in the tournament and probably their most impressive result was a 0-3 win in Bilbao against Athletic Club.
Goals from Casemiro and two from Bruno Fernandes set the tie up perfectly for the Reds and they finished the job with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford in the second leg.
One of the Basque’s centre backs Dani Vivian had a terrible night as he was sent off after 35 minutes but months after the match, it is his centre back partner on the night Yeray Álvarez who has suffered more.
Doping case
The Manchester Evening News reports that “an Athletic Club player who faced Manchester United in the Europa League semi-final last season failed a doping test after the clash against Ruben Amorim’s side.”
The report continues, “Yeray Alvarez, 30, started at centre-back for the La Liga heavyweights when United overcame them 3-0 in the first leg at San Mames. After the match, he was selected for a random drug test by officials at the stadium.”
Four months later, UEFA has released a statement claiming the player shockingly failed this particular drug test.
The Spaniard has since claimed the substance within his body has come from a treatment he used to combat alopecia.
UEFA’s statement read, “the analysis of the player’s sample by a WADA-accredited laboratory revealed the presence of Canrenone, which is a substance prohibited in- (and out-) of competition under the category S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List.”
Ban
The player will be banned for 10 months “starting from the date of the provisional suspension (i.e. 2 June 2025) and ending on 2 April 2026, for committing a non-intentional anti-doping rule violation.”
Alvarez commented that he has accepted he took the substance but claims it was unintentional. He vowed to fight to clear his name and return to the pitch as soon as possible.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
