FA seeks four-year ban as Mudryk faces doping charges

FA breaks silence with formal charge
The Football Association (FA) has officially charged 24-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk with violating anti-doping regulations. It was previously known that the player had been provisionally suspended since December 2024 after Meldonium was detected in a sample provided late last year.

Mudryk appeared in 15 matches across all competitions for Chelsea during the 2024/25 season before his suspension, scoring 3 goals and providing 5 assists.

FA confirms: “The rules are clear, the process has begun”
In a statement to The Telegraph, the FA noted that Mudryk had breached Articles 3 and 4 of the anti-doping code. The statement read:

“Mykhailo Mudryk is charged with possession and/or use of a prohibited substance. As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Precedent: Pogba’s case cited as example
In 2023, Paul Pogba faced a similar charge and initially received a four-year ban. However, the French midfielder succeeded in reducing the suspension to 18 months after appealing to CAS. It is reported that Mudryk has now hired the same law firm.

The Ukrainian player is expected to claim “unintentional use” in his defence. However, under WADA rules, this argument does not always lead to a reduced sentence.

Deeper crisis looming for Chelsea
Mudryk has not even been allowed to enter Chelsea’s training ground during this process. His last official appearance came in November 2024, and since then he has faced a period of uncertainty both physically and legally.

Signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 for £62 million, Mudryk remains under contract with Chelsea until 2031. The club’s potential response to a long-term ban remains unclear.

At just 24 years old, Mudryk is approaching the prime years of his career and now risks being sidelined from professional football. The FA’s final ruling could fundamentally impact both the player’s and the club’s future.

Transfer and financial implications: contract may be revisited
In the event of a lengthy ban, Chelsea may consider suspending or unilaterally terminating the contract. According to talkSPORT’s analysis, clubs may have grounds to cancel contracts in cases of “gross misconduct” such as doping.

According to Capology, Mudryk’s annual salary is approximately €5 million. Should he be sanctioned, the financial handling of this salary is expected to become a separate legal and contractual issue for the club to resolve.

Legal strategy: hope for reduced sentence, but not guaranteed
As with Pogba’s case, a successful “unintentional use” defence could reduce the ban from four years to between 1.5 and 2 years. However, WADA has shown less leniency in recent years regarding this defence. As a result, both Chelsea and the player are reportedly pursuing a multi-layered legal approach, involving not just CAS but also preliminary arguments before the FA.

International impact: FIFA and UEFA regulations also apply
The FA’s decision is expected to extend beyond England, with global enforcement by both FIFA and UEFA. According to Reuters’ analysis of doping cases, FIFA’s disciplinary code allows for such bans to apply “to all official, private, and international competitions.” This raises the possibility of Mudryk being barred not just from the Premier League, but also from international duty and European competitions.