Four-year doping ban
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Hamburger SV is not letting go of its central defender Mario Vuskovic, who is suspended until November 15, 2026 due to a doping offense, and even wants to give him a way to make a comeback on the pitch. This is according to a report in the “Hamburger Abendblatt”. According to this, HSV will have to terminate the Croatian’s licensed player contract, which is valid until June 2025, by Tuesday in order to comply with the capital company’s obligation to look after assets and possibly not commit a criminal offense by continuing to pay his salary. However, Vuskovic will be offered several options for continued employment.
The 22-year-old is set to sign a new contract in Hamburg. The only thing that is not clear is what role he will play for the second division club in the future. Various suggestions will be made to Vuskovic to help him get through the time until the ban expires in autumn 2026, including as a scout. An agreement is expected by Tuesday, because the statutory notice period after the announcement of the CAS ruling (two weeks) will also run by then.
However, it is said that Vuskovic will not remain in a new role within the club. Because HSV is fully convinced of his innocence, the defender is to be given a follow-up contract as a professional footballer to prevent Vuskovic from signing for another club on a free transfer after his suspension expires in just over two years. In addition, he would be given the chance to make a comeback with the Hanseatic League, something that was not actually thought possible. Vuskovic initially moved to HSV on loan from Hajduk Split at the end of August 2021 and was then signed permanently for 3 million euros. Until his suspension, he played 47 times for the northern Germans (three goals, two assists), most recently on November 9, 2022 in the 0-1 loss in Fürth.
As was the case recently, Vuskovic is not allowed to take part in team training, but instead keeps himself fit privately. It is also said that HSV is checking whether the convicted professional is obliged to pay back the salary that he has been receiving in accordance with his contract. The club has up to six months to clarify this detail. In the meantime, the player’s side is considering contesting the CAS ruling again with an appeal to the Swiss Federal Court. This is essentially a hopeless undertaking, as only procedural errors can be denounced. A case before the European Court of Human Rights is also being considered, as Vuskovic feels cheated.
Suspended HSV professional Vuskovic combative: “You can be sure…”
In an initial statement on August 27, HSV stated: “The 22-year-old Croatian and his lawyers are now reviewing the extensive written verdict that was received. Players and club ask for your understanding that this will take some time. Afterwards, HSV and Vuskovic will enter into internal discussions, assess the new situation and then discuss how to proceed.” The banned professional then appeared combative: “You can be sure that I will be successful and come back stronger than ever,” wrote Vuskovic. In 2023, he was found guilty of taking the blood doping agent EPO by the German Football Association’s sports court and was given a two-year ban retroactively from November 15, 2022. This was subsequently extended to four years.
