The midfielder of London’s Chelsea and the Ukrainian national team, Mykhailo Mudryk, tested positive for doping. The doping test for the footballer was taken in October, after one of the matches of the Ukrainian national team. Can Mudryk's doping case affect the recent results of the Ukrainian national team matches? Sports lawyer Ilya Skoropashkin answered this question for Sport.ua:
Ilya Skoropashkin“In cases of doping violations, the responsibility usually lies with the individual athlete. Revising the results of a football match or applying sanctions to the whole team— I don’t recall such a thing. If it’s an individual violation, the consequences pertain specifically to the player and do not affect the overall result of the team. Of course, if there is no proven systemic violation on the part of the federation or the team. Thus, recalculation of the results of matches held by the national team in October is impossible.
Can there be sanctions against UAF or the football club ‘Chelsea’? Sanctions against the national sports federation or the athlete’s club are possible, again, only if it is proven that these organizations facilitated doping violations. If it’s a singular case, sanctions are usually imposed only on the athlete.
As for the polygraph test, it was a procedure that Mykhailo Mudryk voluntarily underwent. A polygraph test is not part of the official procedures outlined in anti-doping rules. The conclusion of a polygraph examiner alone is not evidence of the athlete’s lack of guilt, but it can be used in conjunction with other evidence at the athlete's initiative.
Can the current situation affect the labor relations between Mudryk and Chelsea? This depends on the terms of the contract between the footballer and the British club. Usually, professional contracts with football players include provisions regarding disciplinary violations and anti-doping rules. Each situation is unique and depends on the specific terms of the contract, jurisdiction, applicable regulations, and national legislation,” Skoropashkin said.
