Yeray Alvarez, the Athletic Bilbao defender, has been handed a suspension until April 2026 after failing a doping test. This follows the club's 3-0 defeat to Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final in May. Alvarez, aged 30, played the entire match as Bilbao suffered a heavy loss, with United advancing to the final with a 7-1 aggregate score after winning again at Old Trafford.

On Monday, UEFA announced that Alvarez would face a 10-month ban from competition. However, he will be permitted to return to training in early February 2026. According to UEFA's statement, the doping control took place on 1 May 2025, after the match against Manchester United. The analysis revealed the presence of Canrenone, a substance classified as prohibited both in- and out-of-competition under the WADA Prohibited List.

Following the positive test, Alvarez accepted a voluntary provisional suspension starting from 2 June 2025. UEFA's disciplinary proceedings began on 10 June 2025, leading to an investigation by two Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors. The UEFA disciplinary body ultimately decided on 19 August 2025 to impose a 10-month suspension, effective from the date of the provisional suspension.

The statement clarified that the suspension is due to a non-intentional anti-doping rule violation. Under Article 10.14.2 of the UEFA Anti-Doping Regulations, Alvarez may return to training with a team or use club facilities during the last two months of his suspension, starting from 2 February 2026.

In a social media post from July, Alvarez addressed the doping test, explaining that the positive result stemmed from a treatment for alopecia. "After studying the case, we have established that I tested positive because I unintentionally took a hair loss prevention medicine containing a banned substance," he stated. He expressed regret over the situation and mentioned that he is working on his defence with the support of the club, hoping to return to the pitch as soon as possible.