Chelsea winger, Mykhailo Mudryk, is reportedly weighing up a stunning career change after being hit with an FA charge for failing a drugs test.
The Ukrainian was formally charged earlier this summer following a detailed investigation, which led Chelsea to release an official statement confirming the development.
“We can confirm that Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged with Anti-Doping Rule Violations alleging the presence and/or use of a prohibited substance, in terms of Regulations 3 and 4 of The FA’s Anti-Doping Regulations. As this is an ongoing case, we are not in a position to comment further at this time,” the club announced.
Chelsea head coach, Enzo Maresca, also addressed the matter when asked about Mudryk in the build-up to the Club World Cup clash with Flamengo.
“I spoke with Mischa in Poland when we played the Conference League final [vs Real Betis],” Maresca revealed. “I haven’t spoken with him since then.
“I didn’t see the news but it was communicated to me. There’s nothing more I can add because I don’t have more information. Mischa is a Chelsea player. Until he is not, I will trust. And that goes for all the players.
“Last time I spoke to him he was quite good. I didn’t see him worried. I haven’t spoken to him since then so I don’t know, but for sure we will have contact with him.”
With the threat of a four-year suspension looming, reports in Spain suggest Mudryk is considering switching paths altogether.
According to Marca (via the Mirror), the 24-year-old has ambitions to pursue athletics, aiming to represent Ukraine as a sprinter at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
It is understood he has already trained alongside former Olympians, though he would still need to hit World Athletics’ qualifying standards and succeed in Ukraine’s 2027 trials to make his Olympic dream a reality.
Mudryk’s interest in sprinting is not entirely far-fetched. His blistering pace has long been a hallmark of his game. On his Chelsea debut against Liverpool in January 2023, he set pulses racing by hitting a top speed of 36.63 km/h. He followed that up the next season with another rapid burst recorded at 35.79 km/h.
