From Shakhtar Days To Tottenham Touchline
Roberto De Zerbi has never hidden his affection for Mykhaylo Mudryk. The bond dates back to their Shakhtar Donetsk days, and it clearly hasn’t faded. “He’s my son,” De Zerbi said, offering a glowing tribute to the Ukrainian winger. “Misha is a cool guy, a top player.”
The comments land at a fascinating moment. Mudryk can now return to playing immediately after the FA and the World Anti-Doping Agency resolved his appeal against a four-year ban. He hadn’t featured competitively since November 2024, when a doping test flagged a prohibited substance. That two-year absence, understandably, weighed heavily on him.
De Zerbi’s timing carries extra irony too. He now manages Tottenham, meaning any reunion moment on the pitch would come as rivals rather than allies. Hence his cheeky caveat: hopefully Mudryk rediscovers his best form, “maybe not against Tottenham.”
A Difficult Chapter Nears Its Close
Mudryk’s road back has been long and, at times, brutal. He hadn’t played competitively since November 2024, sidelined for nearly two years after failing a test that revealed a low concentration of meldonium, a prohibited substance.
Contamination claims followed almost immediately. Mudryk believed the sample was contaminated during international duty with Ukraine in October 2024, when the squad played in Albania. Regardless, the process dragged on, and his career stalled at a crucial age.
Fortunately, the resolution arrived swiftly once it came. Changes to WADA procedures meant that, had his sample produced the same result today, no charges would have been filed at all. That detail alone explains why his ban ended two years early rather than running its full course.
Now, attention turns to form and fitness. Rebuilding sharpness after such a long layoff won’t happen overnight, and Chelsea fans know that. Still, De Zerbi’s endorsement offers a timely morale boost. Word from managers who know a player intimately often carries more weight than any statistic. For continued transfer and player news, visit KCPredict, while further details on the case were reported by Sky Sports.
Chelsea fans, meanwhile, will simply hope their winger delivers on De Zerbi’s praise.