Premier League & EFL players 'escaped sanctions' despite testing positive for banned substance during 2023-24 season

According to The Athletic, two players tested positive for a banned substance during the tests carried out after Premier League and English Football League games last season. The report adds it is unclear what substances were found in the samples or why they escaped punishment.

The report adds that the number of tests carried out by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has dropped a significant amount year on year. In 2023-24, 2,176 tests across the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two were carried out, compared to 2,546 in those four divisions the year before. That is an 11 per cent fall in testing which is a worrying statistic and raises a lot of questions.

The English Football Association told The Athletic: “We take anti-doping in English football extremely seriously. We are fully compliant with the National Anti-Doping Policy of the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; fund one of world sport’s leading anti-doping programmes; and input into targeted, researched and intelligence-led drug testing that is directed by UK Anti-Doping. We also operate our own dedicated social drugs programme to safeguard the physical and mental wellbeing of footballers; and to uphold the values and ethics of the sport.”

One player who is currently suspended after returning an adverse finding in a urine test last November is Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk. The Ukrainian has denied any wrongdoing and is awaiting what punishment, if any, will be handed to him.