Unfortunately on international duty, all care is handed over to the national teams. He was ill or at least under the weather, due to Ukraines perception of him as the star poster boy. Most likely some dumb f**k thought it a good idea to slip him a micky to aid the team, thinking it wouldn't come to light.

18 minutes ago, Ajbod said:

Unfortunately on international duty, all care is handed over to the national teams. He was ill or at least under the weather, due to Ukraines perception of him as the star poster boy. Most likely some dumb f**k thought it a good idea to slip him a micky to aid the team, thinking it wouldn't come to light.

That seems the most likely explanation at this point.

Have to wait and see if you are correct, but awfully sad for Mudryk if this is proven to be the case,

24 minutes ago, Ajbod said:

Unfortunately on international duty, all care is handed over to the national teams. He was ill or at least under the weather, due to Ukraines perception of him as the star poster boy. Most likely some dumb f**k thought it a good idea to slip him a micky to aid the team, thinking it wouldn't come to light.

Agree 100%! I don’t believe he took anything knowingly and think you are bang on with that theory!

They probably get all sorts of supplements and jabs for minor knocks from club docs and don’t even question it!

Have to feel for the lad tbh. Yes he’s not exactly lit the world on fire since coming but he’s also kept his head down and got on with it. 
Seems he’s been done over by someone who he trusts on International Duty by all accounts, he’s not actively cheating to gain an advantage, he’s taken something that was given to him without knowing what it was. 
Footballers now a days get that many injections/tablets to keep them at their peak it’s a suprise this doesn’t happen more often, especially with these players from 3rd world countries.

Possible also that he was told it was one thing he was being given, and it turns out to be something else.

Let's hope there is a proper investigation !

1 hour ago, Mod said:

Agree 100%! I don’t believe he took anything knowingly and think you are bang on with that theory!

They probably get all sorts of supplements and jabs for minor knocks from club docs and don’t even question it!

I would like to think he hasn't done this to cheat, but because of the drug involved and it's popularity in Ukraine, I can't rule that out.

5 hours ago, Gordon Bennett said:

His tests in August were negative.

It's clearly something he had no knowledge of taking. Feel sorry for the kid.

That is good that the test was negative then, but unfortunately that does not mean he had no knowledge of taking it recently.

He has tested positive for it now.  That is the only thing we can know for certain.

It doesn't seem that taking drugs - performance enhancing or recreational drugs - would be part of his make up. His deeply religious belief systems. It does seem very out of character for him to take drugs. But he also doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer either.  So unless, somebody from the Ukranian team comes along and says they slipped it to him - and it is legal in the Ukraine? [is that right?]  so there is no reason why they shouldn't come forward. But unless somebody comes forward he is in some serious trouble.

Edited December 18, 20241 yr by TheCeleryKing

8 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

I would like to think he hasn't done this to cheat, but because of the drug involved and it's popularity in Ukraine, I can't rule that out.

This. 

It's the same drug Maria Sharapova used. The most famous athlete from Eastern Europe getting banned for it.

I think I'm right in saying that it doesn't matter if he was given it without his knowledge, the rules will apply exactly the same as if it was taken deliberately . As the substance is an East European favourite in the past, it's more than likely that it happened playing for Ukraine.

I feel for the guy, it's been hard for him what with the war in Ukraine as well, can only hope for a miracle B test result 

2 hours ago, TheCeleryKing said:

That is good that the test was negative then, but unfortunately that does not mean he had no knowledge of taking it recently.

He has tested positive for it now.  That is the only thing we can know for certain.

It doesn't seem that taking drugs - performance enhancing or recreational drugs - would be part of his make up. His deeply religious belief systems. It does seem very out of character for him to take drugs. But he also doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer either.  So unless, somebody from the Ukranian team comes along and says they slipped it to him - and it is legal in the Ukraine? [is that right?]  so there is no reason why they shouldn't come forward. But unless somebody comes forward he is in some serious trouble.

Yeah it's legal in Ukraine and most East European countries. It's prescribed to treat heart conditions, I read somewhere you can buy it over the counter..

America banned it's use for treating heart patients, I wouldn't rule out that it was to protect American big Pharma from competing with East European pharmaceutical companies.

But it's a banned substance for use in Football, athletics etc etc..

Let's hope the guy gets thru this.

 

This isn't a drug you can easily slip or spike into someone's drink or food. You either inject it or take it via capsule form. Given that this is a common drug athletes use in eastern Europe, either Mudryk and/or his team knew this was an illegal drug. They just didn't anticipate the random drug test being so soon for Mudryk. 

The entire Ukraine national team should be tested now. 

4 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This isn't a drug you can easily slip or spike into someone's drink or food. You either inject it or take it via capsule form. Given that this is a common drug athletes use in eastern Europe, either Mudryk and/or his team knew this was an illegal drug. They just didn't anticipate the random drug test being so soon for Mudryk. 

The entire Ukraine national team should be tested now. 

Wonder how that plays out, meaning the random nature of tests or with reasonable cause they can select who to test.  Quite a few Ukrainian players in PL.  

7 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This isn't a drug you can easily slip or spike into someone's drink or food. You either inject it or take it via capsule form. Given that this is a common drug athletes use in eastern Europe, either Mudryk and/or his team knew this was an illegal drug. They just didn't anticipate the random drug test being so soon for Mudryk. 

The entire Ukraine national team should be tested now. 

I guess one capsule looks like any other though ? 

And even with injections, don't pro athletes routinely get things like cortisone shots to enable them to play through minor injuries and the like ? 

Still a lot of scope for the benefit of the doubt in my book.

From the "Conversation" site..

I'm not sure it makes sense ?

 

"Meldonium use needs several weeks to show health or fitness improvements. A negative test shortly before the positive helps the defence that is was not deliberate doping. If, as suggested in the Guardian, it was in August, then that wouldn’t help him with that defence."

 

9 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

I guess one capsule looks like any other though ? 

And even with injections, don't pro athletes routinely get things like cortisone shots to enable them to play through minor injuries and the like ? 

Still a lot of scope for the benefit of the doubt in my book.

There's no benefit of the doubt available unfortunately.

If the tests are positive it doesn't matter how it got into his body,  he's guilty of doping. However, I've read there could be a reduced ban if there's real proof that he took it unawares, let's hope that's what happens.

 

29 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

This isn't a drug you can easily slip or spike into someone's drink or food. You either inject it or take it via capsule form. Given that this is a common drug athletes use in eastern Europe, either Mudryk and/or his team knew this was an illegal drug. They just didn't anticipate the random drug test being so soon for Mudryk. 

The entire Ukraine national team should be tested now. 

Capsules can be opened and the powder mixed with drinks.

Think of the old "Dennis the Menace" black and red Ecstasy capsules !😁😁

2 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

There's no benefit of the doubt available unfortunately.

If the tests are positive it doesn't matter how it got into his body,  he's guilty of doping. However, I've read there could be a reduced ban if there's real proof that he took it unawares, let's hope that's what happens.

 

Yes indeed ... I was thinking more in terms of the mitigation limiting the duration of the ban. 

 

5 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

I guess one capsule looks like any other though ? 

And even with injections, don't pro athletes routinely get things like cortisone shots to enable them to play through minor injuries and the like ? 

Still a lot of scope for the benefit of the doubt in my book.

If you're implying a regular cortisone injection could've been contaminated or that a licensed sports medical practice mixed up capsules with an illegal substance that's been banned since 2016, I would say the possibility of either of those happening are very rare. 

The only rational way of contamination would be in milk, but even then they did a study where even if you consumed a lot of contaminated milk you'd still test under the banned amount of nanograms (100 nanograms per milliliter). 

There still likely a lot to be revealed buts its not a good look. I think when you take into consideration that this is a banned substance very commonly used by athletes in Ukraine & Russia,  it does hint that Mudryk and/or his team knew what he was taking. Add the fact that Mudryk's entire life seems to be revolved around the gym, you put 2 and 2 together its not a good look. 

14 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Capsules can be opened and the powder mixed with drinks.

Think of the old "Dennis the Menace" black and red Ecstasy capsules !😁😁

Meldonium is something that needs to be absorbed in your intestines, so it needs to be in capsule form to survive the stomach acid. 

6 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Meldonium is something that needs to be absorbed in your intestines, so it needs to be in capsule form to survive the stomach acid. 

Didn't know that Sconnie, thanks for info

1 minute ago, The Rising Sun said:

Didn't know that Sconnie, thanks for info

Neither did I. Power of the internet. 

15 minutes ago, Sconnie Blue said:

If you're implying a regular cortisone injection could've been contaminated or that a licensed sports medical practice mixed up capsules with an illegal substance that's been banned since 2016, I would say the possibility of either of those happening are very rare. 

The only rational way of contamination would be in milk, but even then they did a study where even if you consumed a lot of contaminated milk you'd still test under the banned amount of nanograms (100 nanograms per milliliter). 

There still likely a lot to be revealed buts its not a good look. I think when you take into consideration that this is a banned substance very commonly used by athletes in Ukraine & Russia,  it does hint that Mudryk and/or his team knew what he was taking. Add the fact that Mudryk's entire life seems to be revolved around the gym, you put 2 and 2 together its not a good look. 

A mate of our got into steroids through the gym he went to.

Very impressive muscles, but get in a car he was driving and it was horrendous, the 'roid rage thing was very real and unpleasant.

His big muscled body was supported on two matchstick legs though very odd look but very funny !

Meldonium is a drug created and manufactured in Latvia in 1970, and was created to aid with the problem of ischemia which is an insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues.So, it is a drug that athletes use to maximise oxygen supply to their muscles which increases endurance and recuperation. It was discovered to be in widespread use at the Baku games, and was banned for use in 2016. I think the time has passed when athletes can use the Sharapova defence, which was that she had been using the drug to deal with vascular problems for ten years before the ban, and had simply not noticed that it had become prohibited. 

If Mykhailo took it knowingly he is definitely in trouble unless he is able to pinpoint some incident or moment when it might have been an accidental use. I hope he is able to do so, but it's a tough ask even if true, to actually prove to the satisfaction of the controlling body. Pogba got a 4 year ban for Testosterone use, which was reduced t 18. months. That makes for a precedent if Mudryk has a story he can prove to the court of Sports Arbitration. Either way it was in his system, and he will almost certainly be banned.

Edited December 18, 20241 yr by TheBeard

 

I think it is naive to say that he was unaware of taking something and it was accidental use. Although I have put on a few pounds recently because I accidently keep drinking lots of beer and eating lots of cake.

He was at the Fury fight in Saudi. Suppose what’s a man to do if he can’t even train at his club? Sit back and enjoy the £70k a week.