There was a figure in the away dugout at The Etihad Stadium last night who looked more sombre than the rest of the players as they contemplated a hard fought 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Darijo Srna – the greatest player in the history of Shakhtar Donetsk – is in self-imposed exile after failing an anti-doping test in March.
Rumours were afoot after Shakhtar’s first Champions League group game earlier this month that Srna had failed the test and the 35-year-old confirmed the news last week.
Earlier this week the full-back said in a statement on the Shakhtar website: 'First and most important, I would like to make it clear that I have never knowingly or intentionally taken any prohibited substance, nor unfairly intended to gain a competitive advantage.
'In order to focus on my defence and avoid any undue distractions for the team, I have made the decision to refrain from playing until the on-going legal proceedings have been resolved. I will now be focused entirely on clearing my name and reputation.
'Over the course of my entire career I was always under the impression that I had to persistently prove myself over and over again.
‘This is not the end of my career, I can promise you that.'
And we all hope he does clear his name and continues playing. Srna is Croatia’s most capped player having appeared 134 times for his country.
He has helped Shakhtar to win nine league titles and the UEFA Cup during his 14 years at the club.
He is a legend of European football and it would be an extremely sad end to a stellar career if he could not clear his name.
While he is not banned from playing his self-imposed exile from the game is typical of the man. Details of what substance he tested positive for have not yet been made public and he will hope it can be traced back to an innocent mistake.
Srna finishing his career like this would not be right for football, the fans or for himself.
