The conflict in Ukraine also affects athletes in Russia. Foreign players are beginning to flee the country, a week after the start of the war and the imposition of sporting sanctions by international bodies.
Football: Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow lose players and coaches
Ukrainians are naturally the most determined to leave Russia. Current second in the national championship, Dynamo Moscow announced on Wednesday March 2 the departure of its assistant coach Andriy Voronin, a former Ukrainian international. Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy also chose to terminate his contract with Zenith Saint Petersburg on Wednesday.
Lokomotiv Moscow has recorded two departures, including that of its German coach Markus Gisdol. The latter told the German daily Picture that he couldn’t “not exercise (his) vocation in a country whose leader is responsible for a war”. Former Girondins de Bordeaux defender Pablo has also left the club according to Russian media outlet Meta.
⚡️ Вслед за Гисдолем «Локомотив» покидает и Пабло
По нашей информации, защитник «Локомотива» Насименто Пабло так же покидает клуб. Бразилец тоже сегодня попрощался с командой. https://t.co/f0TfwF06K3 pic.twitter.com/Qwm3fyKJ1d
— Meta (@LigaTV) March 1, 2022
Returned to France following an injury, the French midfielder of FC Krasnodar Rémy Cabella let it be known on his social networks that he would wait before returning to Russia, while his new coach Daniel Farke chose to terminate his contract before even to have disputed the least meeting.
Handball: serial departures from Meshkov Brest and Rostov
The Belarusian club Meshkov Brest saw its participation in the Champions League suspended by the European Handball Federation (EHF) on Monday. Thus, several players have decided to leave the club: Slovenian Jaka Malus, Polish Pavel Pachkovski, Frenchman Baptiste Bonnefond and Spanish and Portuguese coaches Daniel Gordo and Nunu Farelu. Apart from Malus who was to leave this summer and decided to end his contract prematurely, all could return if the “situation is stabilizing”said the club.
On the side of the Rostov women’s club, the Ukrainian player Victoria Borchchenko has also chosen to leave. Her teammate, the Frenchwoman Grace Zaadi, is “happy” to be back in France.
Basketball: CSKA Moscow in lack of Europe and players
Historically a Russian army club, CSKA Moscow, excluded from the Euroleague, has seen several players leave. Among them, Joel Bolomboy, born in Ukraine and having dual Russian-Ukrainian nationality, whom the club announced was leaving for “family and personal reasons related to the current situation”. Tornike Shengelia (Georgia), Iffe Lundberg (Denmark), Marius Grigonis (Lithuania) and Johannes Voigtmann (Germany) also left Russian soil to return to their respective countries.
The Zenith Saint-Petersburg announced the departure of several players for a certain time. Finally, the coach of BC Parma, Kazys Maksvytis, who is the coach of Lithuania, announced “not being able to return” in Perm.