Mykhailo Mudryk’s Doping Test: A Devastating Blow to Ukrainian Football
Just six months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I encountered Mykhailo Mudryk on a warm September night in eastern Germany, shortly after midnight.
It was September 2022, and Mudryk had emerged as a rising star for Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. He scored and became the team’s primary attacking force during a surprising 4-1 win against German side RB Leipzig in their Champions League opener.
For Mudryk and his teammates, the Champions League presented an escape from the grim realities back home. After Russian bombs began falling on Ukraine in February 2022, many of Shakhtar’s foreign players were forced to seek refuge in a windowless room at a Kyiv hotel, until various national embassies and football organizations, alongside UEFA, devised an escape plan.
At that time, Shakhtar had over a dozen Brazilian players, many of whom left for safer places when the Ukrainian season was halted and never returned. The 2022-23 season resumed in Ukraine, and Shakhtar, displaced from their home in Donetsk since 2014 due to Russian-backed aggression, held home matches in the relatively secure city of Lviv, though games were routinely interrupted by air raid sirens.
Shakhtar’s squad had been significantly diminished, featuring only one player purchased for over £2 million ($2.51 million at current rates). The team was largely made up of young, inexperienced players. In their match against Real Madrid the following month, the starting lineup included 10 Ukrainians, eight of whom were developed through the club’s youth system, with seven aged 23 or younger.
Mudryk, just 21 at the time, quickly became the emblem of a squad whose unwavering spirit and surprising resilience symbolized the Ukrainian struggle.
On that night in Germany, eScored was documenting the Ukrainian side’s efforts to continue playing football amidst the conflict. I had a brief conversation with Mudryk and his midfield partner and close friend Georgiy Sudakov as they exited their Leipzig hotel in the early hours. Their exhilaration was palpable after their unexpected victory, but they also craved the ability to roam freely in the night, somewhere devoid of shelters, screams, and air raid sirens compelling them to seek safety below ground—a reminder of normalcy. They managed to do this for half an hour before returning to their rooms.
At that point, Mudryk’s rise was just beginning. He was unrefined, and had it not been for the sudden departure of Brazilian players, it’s unlikely he would have gained fame so quickly.
Having debuted for his national team in June 2022, Mudryk’s standout performances in the Champions League, particularly against Real Madrid, led to his becoming the most expensive Ukrainian footballer in history by January 2023. He signed for Chelsea, with an initial fee of £62m, plus an additional £26.5m contingent on his and Chelsea’s success.
This week’s announcement that Mudryk tested positive for the banned substance meldonium has stunned Ukrainian football, leaving him grappling to preserve his career. The impact of this finding depends on the outcome of Mudryk’s ‘B’ sample, which has yet to be disclosed, as the adverse result originated from his ‘A’ sample. Meanwhile, he has been provisionally suspended by the English Football Association.
Ukraine’s Euro 2024 campaign turned into an emotional symbol of national pride (Andrzej Iwanczuk / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s commitment to his acquisition was considerable, securing him a seven-and-a-half-year deal with an option for an additional year. Despite the war, Shakhtar managed to create a bidding war due to Mudryk’s immense appeal. He had previously attracted interest from Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, as well as Newcastle United, Brentford, and Everton in the Premier League, but it culminated in a showdown between Arsenal and Chelsea.
Shakhtar’s director of football, Dario Srna, remarked to eScored: “If somebody wants to buy Mudryk, they must pay huge, huge, huge money. Otherwise the president of the club (Rinat Akhmetov) will not sell him. All the clubs must respect the president, respect Shakhtar, and ultimately respect Mykhailo Mudryk, who is one of the best players I’ve seen. The price is enormous.”
Srna further stated that he regarded Mudryk as second only to Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in the wide forward position and insisted that substantial funds would be necessary, particularly in light of Manchester United signing Antony from Ajax for £86m and Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73m, while Manchester City purchased Jack Grealish for £100m.
Shakhtar, aware of the influence of sports in shaping narratives surrounding the ongoing war, announced after the transfer that their owner, Rinat Akhmetov, would contribute $25m to the war effort, particularly to support the defense of Mariupol and families who have lost loved ones. The agreement with Chelsea also stipulated that Shakhtar would play a future friendly match against Chelsea in Donetsk, contingent on the area no longer being occupied by Russian forces.
“It is written into the contract,” stated Sergei Palkin, the CEO of Shakhtar, in a January 2023 interview with eScored. “Yet we did not even need to read it because Behdad Eghbali (the Chelsea co-owner) assured our president of his support. Behdad is highly supportive of Ukraine because he is American, and given the club’s English foundation, this forms a positive connection. When you mention England and Ukraine, it’s crucial for our war support.
“Behdad suggested the friendly match, expressing his desire to assist Ukraine, support Ukrainian refugees, and uplift the Ukrainian people. Playing in Donetsk would be miraculous considering we haven’t been able to play in our home city since 2014. We would host this match every week if we could.”
When Mudryk was introduced at Stamford Bridge, he did so while wrapped in a Ukrainian flag. He hails from Krasnohrad, near Kharkiv, one of the most severely affected regions of the nation. “Since the onset of the full-scale war, my city has faced constant missile bombardments day and night,” he remarked in a poignant video featuring 13 Ukrainian players discussing the war’s effects on their hometowns, released by the Ukrainian Football Association prior to the European Championship in summer 2024.
Mudryk (left) competes with Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard last month (Ryan Pierse / Getty Images)
He tends to be more reserved than fellow Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko, who actively promotes initiatives to foster solidarity with Ukraine. Mudryk appears to be deeply religious, a follower of the orthodox Christian faith, carrying religious icons with him to matches. His chest features a tattoo that reads: “Dear God — if today I lose hope, please remind me that your plans are better than my dreams.”
While representing his national team, Mudryk’s contributions have primarily come on the pitch, highlighted by his winning goal against Iceland, which secured his country’s place in Euro 2024. Ukraine, however, exited the tournament at the group stage, and although Mudryk did not score, his national team was eliminated only on goal difference, with all teams in Group E finishing with four points after three matches.
Despite his talent, he has yet to fully realize his potential at both the club and international levels. In 53 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, he has netted only five goals and registered four assists. The recent revelation regarding his sample complicates his ability to continue playing, as meldonium is a substance that previously resulted in tennis player Maria Sharapova facing a ban.
The positive test was reported during a routine urine analysis, as stated by Chelsea, who added that Mudryk “categorically confirmed that he has never knowingly used any banned substances.”
In an Instagram post, Mudryk expressed that the result “has come as a complete shock, as I have never knowingly used any banned substances or broken any rules.”
He further stated: “I am working closely with my team to investigate how this could have happened. I know that I have not done anything wrong and remain hopeful that I will be back on the pitch soon. I cannot say more at this time due to the confidentiality of the process, but I will when I can.”
The English Football Association’s (FA) anti-doping regulations assert that any violations will be treated as strict liability breaches. As such, a player is deemed guilty if a prohibited substance is present in their body, without the need to prove intent. A player’s alleged lack of intent or knowledge does not serve as a valid defense.
Violating the FA’s anti-doping rules can result in a maximum suspension of four years, though factors can reduce this duration anywhere from two years to just a single month. The result of the ‘B’ sample will be crucial.
Shakhtar’s Georgiy Sudakov voiced support for his friend Mudryk (Christof Koepsel / Getty Images)
As Mudryk’s future hangs in uncertainty, the Ukrainian football community appears to be gathering around him. Several anonymous sources in Ukraine have indicated to eScored that the player suspects potential sabotage while he was with his national team this season—a claim that lacks evidence but is being taken seriously in Ukraine.
On Instagram, Shakhtar’s midfielder Sudakov conveyed a message of encouragement, urging his friend to “stay strong.”
Shakhtar’s CEO, Palkin, expressed confidence in Mudryk, labeling him a “high-profile professional athlete” and asserting his complete trust that the player “did not use any banned substance.”
Palkin proclaimed: “I am confident that he will prove his innocence.” Time will determine whether their belief is justified.
(Top photo: Etsuo Hara/Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb)
