Why did UEFA Ban Athletic Bilbao Star Yeray Alvarez for 10 Months?

Athletic Bilbao have enjoyed a highly impressive start to the 2025/26 La Liga campaign, winning all three of their opening matches and are seated in second place in the league table. However, their experienced defender Yeray Alvarez has now suffered a major blow in his aspirations to succeed for the Basque club as he's been struck by a ban by UEFA after the federation found him guilty of flouting the rules during the 2024/25 campaign.

Yeray Alvarez Handed 10-Month Ban by UEFA

The 30-year-old Spanish defender Yeray Alvarez has been suspended by UEFA from being involved in professional football (with retrospective effect since 2 June 2025), after he was found guilty of using an illegal medical substance named canrenone. The 30-year-old defender tested positive for doping after Spanish giants Athletic Bilbao's 3-0 loss to Manchester United in the first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League semi-finals. He was allowed to play in the second leg before it was officially confirmed by UEFA that a prohibited substance had been found in his test.

UEFA has now confirmed that Alvarez will be banned from any football activities for 10 months. Athletic Bilbao have confirmed in a statement that: “UEFA acknowledges that there was no intent on the part of the player, considering it proven that the ingestion of the prohibited substance was due to the incorrect use of a preventive medicine for hair loss which belonged to his partner, and contained the said substance, without any deliberate desire to dope.”

Yeray Alvarez has voluntarily accepted the suspension. As the sanction is backdated to 2 June (2025), that means Alvarez will not be able to play any more matches in 2025 for Athletic Bilbao. He will be able to start training with the first-team squad from 2nd February (2026) and will be able to start playing matches for them once again from 2nd April (2025) onward. The Spanish centre-back is expected to explain his actions in a statement to the media soon, as he acknowledges his mistake in taking the medicine before consulting specialists.

How has Yeray Alvarez's Career at Athletic Bilbao Transpired?

Yeray Alvarez has been totally devoted to Athletic Bilbao for the majority of his career. He joined their youth academy at the age of 13 in 2008, spending five years with them. Alvarez made his debut for Athletic Bilbao's senior team in 2016 and has since become an important player for their first team. Indeed, the 30-year-old defender has made 257 appearances for the Spanish club, scoring five goals and providing four assists.

He made 29 appearances for Athletic Bilbao in the 2024/25 season, which included seven in the Europa League. Alvarez helped Athletic Bilbao keep three clean sheets in seven Europa League games and featured in both semi-final legs against Manchester United. However, since being found guilty of doping, Alvarez has not been able to play any matches for Bilbao and has yet to make any appearance for them in the 2025/26 season.