- Alvarez banned for 10 months
- Defender admits "fatal error" in routine
- Tested positive after Europa League clash
Alvarez has been handed a 10-month ban from football after testing positive for a prohibited substance during a routine UEFA check on May 1 following the Europa League semi-final first leg against Manchester United. The analysis detected canrenone, a diuretic banned under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA’s) S5 category.
The defender explained that the incident was the result of a mix-up with his partner’s medication, which was nearly identical to the hair loss treatment he had been taking since unndergoing chemotherapy. The 30-year-old admitted his mistake, appeared before the media with the support of his entire squad, and accepted the ruling. The ban is a crushing blow for Basque club, who will be without one of their most experienced defenders for most of the 2025-26 campaign, including their Champions League run. Alvarez, who previously fought and overcame testicular cancer in 2016, stressed that he never intended to gain any performance advantage.
“Ten months seems fair to me and I accept it,” said the centre-back in a press conference. “I want to make it clear that I never knew I was taking a banned substance to enhance performance or anything like that.”
The Spaniard explained how the mix-up happened, adding: “Following chemotherapy in 2016, during one of my check-ups with the oncologist, he told me about a hair loss process. After chemo, I lost my hair. I started that treatment in 2022, which consisted of taking a pill and a hair spray. It was a treatment I mentioned to Josean [the club doctor] from the very beginning. I’ve been on that treatment for a while and continue to do so. My partner, Nahia, started a treatment almost identical to mine in December of last year, which is done at night. One of the days we were going to do the night treatment, the week before Manchester United, I realised I didn’t have my pills. Due to stress, I decided to take my partner’s pill, thinking it had the same ingredient as mine. We thought it had the substance he usually has, minoxidil, without realizing that what it contained was another substance that was also prohibited.”
The defender has also given up his wages for the duration of his suspension, adding: “From the very beginning, I told the club that during my suspension, I won’t be paid anything at all. I work for the club, and when it’s a mistake, I’ve owned up to it from the very beginning, that’s how it will be.”
Alvarez will remain suspended from all football activities until April 2026, although he will be permitted to return to training with his teammates from February 2026. Athletic must now adapt their defensive setup without him as they balance domestic and European commitments.
