Banned Mario Vuskovic, SV Hamburg defender  to get new contract

 

HAMBURG – SV Hamburg will continue their cooperation with defender Mario Vuskovic despite his doping ban, the second division club said on Monday.

Vuskovic’s current contract, which runs until June 2025, has been cancelled by mutual agreement and the 22-year-old player will receive a new deal in 2026 once his suspension ends.

“We all know that a return to professional football after a four-year ban is not a matter of course. However, we are convinced that Mario has the skills and fighting spirit to master a return,” sporting director Stefan Kuntz said.

Vuskovic tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO in 2022 and was initially banned for two years by the German Football Federation (DFB). He protested his innocence and went to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking a nullification of the ban.

But the Swiss-based CAS instead upheld separate appeals from the German anti-doping body and the World Anti-Doping Agency calling for a four-year ban, and said that Vuskovic was unable to prove that he did not use the substance intentionally.

Until he signs a new contract in 2026, Vuskovic will reportedly remain employed by Hamburg. But according to the club, he can’t be used in any function at the club nor in amateur football due to the ban.

“I will do everything to come back better than ever,” the defender said.