Mykhailo Mudryk eligible for Conference League medal: why the suspended Chelsea winger celebrated

Why Mudryk could collect a medal

Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended, but he still ended the night with a medal around his neck. That sounds odd until you look at how UEFA handles medals and who counts as a contributor during a European campaign.

The Chelsea winger has been under a provisional suspension since November after a failed drugs test. That bars him from playing and from taking part in matchday activity while the case runs its course. It does not wipe out the minutes he already played in the Europa Conference League this season.

Mudryk did plenty before the ban. He made four appearances in the league phase and featured in both legs of the qualifying playoff against Servette. Across those games, he stacked up three goals and three assists. That output helped push Chelsea into the latter stages and, in sporting terms, is exactly the kind of contribution clubs tend to reward when medals are handed out.

Here’s the key bit on medals. UEFA provides a set of winners’ and runners-up medals to each finalist—commonly around 40—and the club decides how to distribute them among players and staff. There’s no rule saying a medal can only go to those on the pitch in the final. Clubs routinely recognize anyone who played a part earlier in the tournament, even if injury, suspension, or selection kept them out of the showpiece.

That’s why Mudryk qualified, regardless of his availability for the decider. He was not seen on the pitch during Chelsea’s celebrations in Wrocław, but he appeared later in Instagram Stories posted by teammates, wearing a medal and sharing images of the trophy. It’s not clear whether that was his officially allocated medal or one briefly borrowed for photos. Either way, by UEFA practice and club custom, he had earned the right to be listed among the winners.

The night that reshaped Chelsea’s season

Chelsea beat Real Betis 4-1 in the final in Wrocław, flipping a rough start into a commanding finish. Betis struck inside nine minutes, but Enzo Maresca’s team took control after the break. Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, and Moisés Caicedo were on the scoresheet as the Blues blew the game open in the second half.

The result delivered more than a trophy. It completed Chelsea’s clean sweep of modern UEFA club titles—Champions League, Europa League, and now the Conference League—making them the first club to win all three since the third competition was introduced. For a squad still building an identity under a new manager, that matters.

The lineup told its own story. Marc Cucurella, at 26, was the oldest starter. Chelsea became only the second team to begin a major UEFA final without a player aged 27 or older. A youthful side handled the pressure and the swings of a final, which is exactly the kind of experience that tends to carry over into next season.

There’s also a practical boost. The Conference League title brings automatic qualification for the Europa League group stage. That guarantees European nights and a bigger stage for Maresca to test the depth he leaned on throughout this run.

For Mudryk, the moment is complicated but clear in sporting terms. A provisional ban is not a verdict. Under anti-doping rules, it’s a step taken while the case is investigated, with the right to a hearing and, where relevant, B-sample analysis. He can’t play until the process is resolved, but his performances from earlier in the campaign still count in the record and in the club’s internal honors.

UEFA’s medal policy aligns with that logic. The organization doesn’t police who gets each medal inside a squad. It supplies the batch; the club recognizes the contributors. Additional medals can be requested if needed. That is why injured players, mid-season departures, and suspended contributors often end up with medals if the club believes they earned them on the road to the final.

Some fans asked how a suspended player could be pictured with a medal so quickly after the final whistle. The simplest answer is often the right one: medals circulate during celebrations. Players swap for photos. Staff and squad members take turns before they’re boxed up, logged, and distributed. Whether Mudryk’s was his official medal or a teammate’s for the camera, his eligibility wasn’t in doubt.

The wider Chelsea story is about a project clicking at the right time. Maresca leaned into youth, pressed high, and trusted ball carriers to break lines. When the second half opened up in Wrocław, that plan suffocated Betis. Palmer’s composure, Sancho’s direct running, and Caicedo’s timing from deep showed a team playing with clarity and confidence.

Finishing a European campaign with a 4-1 win and a historic milestone gives the club a narrative anchoring point heading into the summer window. It also resets the expectations. A squad that young, with medals in their pockets and a continental route back into the Europa League, won’t be graded on potential for long. They’ll be judged on delivery.

As for Mudryk, the case will play out on its own timeline. Until then, his situation doesn’t change the football fact: he helped get Chelsea to the latter stages, and the medal—however it reached his neck on the night—reflects that contribution.