Mudryk calls last 20 months 'most difficult' period of career

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk 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, ending his long-running anti-doping case. The 25-year-old made these remarks in a statement shared on his Instagram 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). The BBC reported on Friday that Chelsea planned to reintegrate the Ukraine international into the squad, with Mudryk expected to join the club's pre-season tour.

Mudryk stated, "This has been the most difficult period of my career," expressing gratitude that the process reached a conclusion, noting he has been cleared to return to football. He emphasized that he never knowingly or intentionally took a banned substance, a position he held from the start of the case.

He remarked, "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."

He thanked his family, friends, Chelsea, his teammates, supporters, and legal team for their support throughout the ordeal.

Mudryk aims to focus on returning to football, working hard every day, and making a positive contribution on the pitch. He has not played in a competitive match since November 2024 after being provisionally suspended due to an adverse finding for meldonium during an out-of-competition test while on international duty with Ukraine.

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

Chelsea welcomed the decision and expressed eagerness to assist Mudryk in regaining full fitness and resuming his career with the first team.