Mario Vuskovic set to return after four years: new market value set
Hamburg's Croatian centre-back Mario Vuskovic sees his four-year doping ban come to an end on Sunday. The 24-year-old is expected to feature in a friendly against Hajduk Split the same day, and his current market value stands at €500,000.
Mario Vuskovic, the Croatian centre-back at German club Hamburg, is preparing to return to the pitch as his four-year doping ban comes to an end on Sunday. The 24-year-old, who has not played a competitive match since November 2022, is expected to feature the same day in a friendly in Hamburg against his boyhood club Hajduk Split.
Following the lengthy enforced absence, Vuskovic's market value has also been reassessed. The Croatian defender, whose value at one stage of his career climbed as high as €6.5m, now has a market value of €500,000.
After four years away, it cannot yet be predicted how the Croatian will return to the pitch or how his performances will be reflected in the transfer market. For that reason, €500,000 is regarded as a starting value, and the figure is expected to be revisited in line with his development on the pitch.
The German Football Association (DFB) sports court had handed the player a two-year ban on the grounds that EPO was detected in a test carried out in autumn 2022, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later increased the ban to four years. An appeal to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court was also unsuccessful. The Croatian centre-back, who has maintained his innocence throughout, has been training with the team since mid-September after Hamburg signed a new contract with him.
Mario Vuskovic's brother Luka Vuskovic, who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, also said he believes his older brother will make a strong return to the pitch, expressing confidence that he will get back to his former top level.