First, a confession. Could 27, 2025, the day earlier than Chelsea versus Actual Betis within the Convention League closing. I would heard a hearsay that Mykhailo Mudryk was on the town and, not solely that, he was at an American steakhouse known as Whiskey within the Jar within the metropolis centre of Wroclaw, Poland.
He’d been neither seen nor heard for months resulting from his suspension from soccer for failing a medication check and this busy restaurant was solely a 10-minute stroll away, so I swung by.
Couldn’t see him. Requested a waiter. Mentioned he was right here, sporting a black Chelsea gilet and a durag, however that he’d been and gone. Bugger. There goes that unique. Greatest make my strategy to the Tarczynski Area for Enzo Maresca’s press convention, I suppose.
It was solely later I discovered Mudryk was, in reality, there the whole time. Sitting inside, out of sight, in a sales space wherein his privateness was presumably boosted by the patrons’ eyes being extra centered on the decor, which included a skeleton driving a Harley-Davidson hanging from the ceiling.
So, it was steak for Mudryk, egg on face for myself, and, you hope, a good-looking tip for that well mannered waiter with the poker face serving sides of subterfuge and dollops of what-might-have-been.
We didn’t anticipate to see Mudryk in Wroclaw. Neither did Maresca. When requested on the suspended Ukrainian instantly turning up in Poland at his press convention, Chelsea’s head coach was confused. ‘To be trustworthy, I simply… I don’t know,’ Maresca mentioned. ‘He’s right here or is he coming? He’s right here? I don’t know. I’m completely satisfied for Misha to be right here.’
It has been an extended and unhappy yr for Mykhailo Mudryk since he examined constructive for meldonium final November
Mudryk scored in a 2-0 win at Heidenheim on November 28, 2024 – and hasn’t performed a minute {of professional} soccer since
His boss Enzo Maresca wasn’t even conscious that Mudryk was in Wroclaw, Poland when he turned up forward of Chelsea’s Convention League closing in opposition to Actual Betis final yr
Chelsea gained 4-1 the subsequent evening, and Mudryk acquired a winner’s medal when he joined their celebratory afterparty.
That was resulting from his earlier participation in Europe’s third-tier competitors. Certainly, it was within the Convention League the place we final noticed Mudryk on a soccer pitch – a yr in the past this week.
It has been an extended and albeit unhappy yr. A yr of waste. A yr of silence. A hellish yr in accordance with those that know and really feel for Mudryk. He scored in a 2-0 win at Heidenheim on November 28, 2024, was an unused substitute in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa within the Premier League a number of days later, after which disappeared from Chelsea’s coaching periods and video games.
On the time, these protecting Chelsea have been advised it was resulting from sickness, however Day by day Mail Sport acquired a tip that an alleged anti-doping subject was the actual purpose for his absence. Suspecting one thing aside from a curiously prolonged case of the flu was certainly afoot, we set to work making an attempt to confirm it.
From Chelsea, who have been away in Kazakhstan for a Convention League sport with Astana, to Mudryk’s representatives on behalf of the ProStar Soccer Company, no person official was prepared to face it up. We had it unofficially second- and third-sourced within the meantime, however nonetheless craved one thing concrete. An announcement, ideally, to be used within the story on his provisional suspension.
Then attorneys utilized by a number of sporting stars caught up in comparable sagas – together with Paul Pogba – despatched us a authorized letter explaining how that they had been instructed by Mudryk.
They warned us to not publish our piece as, amongst different issues, it infringed his privateness rights. We requested them to substantiate or deny that Mudryk had offered an opposed analytical discovering, and was now quickly suspended from soccer. We acquired no remark.
We advised them we had discovered that additional suggestions have been touchdown within the inboxes of different Chelsea correspondents. No remark. We warned this information was sure to be damaged, a method or one other, if not by us then one other organisation. No remark.
Mudryk, seen right here with Enzo Fernandez, joined Chelsea’s celebrations for his or her Convention League triumph in Could and acquired a winner’s medal
Mudryk has not spoken publicly since his failed check – regardless of faux quotes circulating on social media, together with false tales suggesting he needs to signify the Ukrainian observe crew on the 2028 Olympics
The story then broke in a single day in Ukrainian media and the subsequent morning, December 17, 2024, Chelsea lastly confirmed the FA had notified Mudryk of an opposed discovering in a routine urine check, believed to be for the banned substance meldonium.
Mudryk launched his personal assertion on Instagram insisting he had no concept the way it may have occurred, including: ‘I can not say any extra now because of the confidentiality of the method, however I’ll as quickly as I can.’
He has not spoken publicly since – regardless of faux quotes sometimes circulating on social media, together with false tales suggesting he needs to signify the Ukrainian observe crew on the 2028 Olympics – although he has cryptically modified his Instagram profile.
His bio now reads: ‘Watch how they hate.’ His profile image is of Patrick Bateman, the American Psycho character performed by Christian Bale who’s each a Wall Road funding banker and a serial killer, in a scene zoning out everybody else with eyes closed and headphones on, listening to The Woman in Purple by Chris De Burgh.
It was June 18, 2025 when the FA charged Mudryk and that’s the place we at the moment are: ready for phrase on an consequence. It’s a painfully gradual course of. Secrecy surrounds its standing resulting from its confidential nature. No one related is allowed to disclose the place the case is at present at.
He faces as much as a four-year ban if discovered responsible, although that may be the worst-case state of affairs and he would have the ability to attraction.
The Ukrainian nationwide crew have missed him. They’re within the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup and would love him again. Chelsea have had no alternative however to plough on with out him, bringing in Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens this summer time to compete on the left wing.
Mudryk was pictured a number of weeks again, sporting Chelsea-branded tracksuit bottoms, after a gathering with Shakhtar Donetsk chief govt Serhii Palkin on a movie within the works by Hollywood screenwriters Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson in regards to the Ukrainian membership and the battle.
He has had loads of time for pursuing aspect tasks just like the Shakhtar movie – and watching Chelsea video games on tv from house – and his longer, darker hair was a reminder of how lengthy it had been since we final noticed him resulting from this suspension.
Mudryk (centre) was just lately pictured after a gathering with Shakhtar Donetsk chief govt Serhii Palkin on a Hollywood movie being made in regards to the membership and the battle in Ukraine
Chelsea have missed Mudryk – with no alternative however to plough on with out their participant, they introduced in Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens to compete on the left wing in the summertime
Palkin has gone on file as backing Mudryk’s innocence, reminding us all that this a human being on the centre of this story and including that he doesn’t care in regards to the £26million in add-ons which have been constructed into his £88m transfer from Shakhtar to Chelsea in January 2023.
We’re advised Mudryk handed a voluntary lie detector check to show he had by no means knowingly taken a banned substance.
Precisely how the meldonium might need entered his system stays unclear. It has been claimed it occurred whereas away on worldwide responsibility with Ukraine, although the Ukrainian FA have insisted that none of their employees have been concerned. Day by day Mail Sport acquired no reply once we tried texting Andriy Shevchenko, the previous Chelsea striker who’s at present the assocation’s president.
It’s believed Mudryk has largely stayed round London during the last yr, although he’s unable to coach along with his Chelsea team-mates and even go to Cobham.
It’s understood he has been working with an exterior coach as, if and when he’s allowed to return to enjoying skilled soccer, he needs to be prepared. As a deeply non secular man, it’s mentioned he has religion that may occur. Chelsea are restricted in how a lot assist they’ll present their participant, however insiders will let you know they belief and help him.
Mudryk by no means needed any of this, particularly after hitting headlines beforehand for causes away from soccer.
He had solely been at Chelsea for a number of weeks when The Solar discovered an outdated Tik Tok video exhibiting Mudryk reciting a 2017 rap by American artist Lil Child which included the N-word.
He apologised and accepted it was wholly inappropriate, however Day by day Mail Sport has been advised that Mudryk took that onerous, seeing himself splashed on the entrance web page of a nationwide newspaper with an ‘£88m Chelsea star’s N-word disgrace’ headline.
Now, he has had a yr of listening to his identify related to doping when he would a lot moderately be mentioned for his abilities on the pitch.
His pace (clocked at 22.8mph on his debut at Anfield in January 2023, the quickest within the league at that time of the season) impressed a number of golf equipment monitoring him, however there was one match particularly which made a number of talent-spotters suspect he might be somebody particular.
Mudryk was clocked at 22.8mph on his very first look for Chelsea in opposition to Liverpool, making him the quickest participant within the Premier League at that time of the 2022-23 season
Mudryk has largely stayed round London during the last yr, although he’s unable to coach along with his Chelsea team-mates and even go to Cobham
Background checks recommended he was a shy boy and his grasp on English was not the best, however a visit to Celtic Park on October 25, 2022 advised these in attendance that he may play a hell of a sport at 22 years outdated.
He scored a screamer in a 1-1 draw to ship Celtic crashing out of the Champions League, and one supply there that evening tells Day by day Mail Sport: ‘He is one who I assumed can be getting talked about, like how we’re all speaking about Cole Palmer now.’
It’s understood it was round this time that Chelsea first made contact to declare their curiosity in doing a deal, they usually landed him from beneath Arsenal’s noses within the winter window that adopted.
Now, they’ve been unable to make use of their 24-year-old Ukrainian for a complete yr, and Mudryk can solely hope he will probably be allowed to make up for misplaced time, sooner moderately than later.
