Lagos, Nigeria – Na wah! Wetin we go call dis one? Mykhailo Mudryk, di Chelsea winger wey dey shine for pitch, don find himself inside serious wahala after dem charge am for doping offence. You fit believe am? Dis guy, wey just join Chelsea for January 2023, don make 73 appearances already, and na now dem don suspend am as di Football Association catch am red-handed.
Di 24-year-old Nigerian (or na Ukraine we go call am? No vex, I dey confuse!) was provisionally suspended as far back as December 2024, after urine test wey show say e dey carry banned substance for body. As dem formally charge am for June, everyone dey wonder wetin go happen next. E be like say di FA investigation be like exploration journey, wey no dey get end!
For dis matter, Mudryk dey run with Morgan Sports Law, di same firm wey help Paul Pogba when him dey struggle with doping issue during im time for Juventus. Na so e be, abeg! E don pass lie detector test wey some people dey talk say e clear, but still, di matter no be di way e dey look.
E don reach BBC Sport level, and dem dey gists with people for both Ukraine and London to understand di full gist. After dem blow di whistle for him positive test, Mudryk run go Instagram to drop message wey say dis one surprise am. Him talk, “I no ever dey use banned substance. I dey work with my team to find out how dis kon happen. I dey hopeful say I go return to pitch.” Still, di question wey dey ground, na how dem go draw di line between him innocence and di law.
Apparently, Mudryk come in contact with meldonium, di medication wey fit run respiratory capacity and stamina up, while e dey play for di national team. Di Ukrainian Football Association (UAF) no confirm sey di staff dey involve, but dem no fit outright deny. Dem talk say, “We dey follow Mudryk lawyers closely but no comment further as confidentiality dey grand for di matter so make we no drop any wahala for ground.”
UAF president wey don use to be Chelsea striker, Andriy Shevchenko, never visit am so far. E no even get time for am despite say e still get house for London. As di matter dey turn, dem dey try find out how di boy take chop di meldonium wey don dey banned since 2016. Na wa! Dis one follow history from di European Games wey show say plenty medals dey on di substance back den.
For di national team, Ukraine dey face serious wahala too. Dem just lost to France and manage draw against Azerbaijan during di last break, and as Mudryk dey sit down on di bench, fans dey vex. Di boy don loss better money wey Shakhtar Donetsk suppose see from Chelsea — about €30 million in add-ons. But di CEO for Shakhtar, Sergei Palkin, talk say dem no dey think about money; dem dey think about di human being.
“E turn my heart after I hear di matter. We dey support am as friend and as academy graduate. We no get any idea how di positive test happen, we just dey stand by am spiritually. No plans to sue nobody.” Palkin talk say di essence of dis whole matter dey past di cash. Mudryk dey train alone with private coach but still dey stay in good shape. Meanwhile, Chelsea dey monitor di matter, but no comments go drop until di case take back shape.
Di big question be this: if dem find am guilty, e fit face ban of four years! But if e get chance to appeal, di FA go look am well-well. Fans don dey sabi say dem go wait well, well, before he fit return to pitch. Dis na serious comedy show wey no suppose dey too funny! Omo, as e be so, di saga don just begin…
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