This is the subject that has been occupying the international scene since Thursday, February 24 in the morning. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues to make the whole planet react. If the unanimous reactions of support multiply, the Ukrainian sportsmen also did not fail to react.
The most virulent of them, Oleksandr Zinchenko, plays for Manchester City. On an instagram story revealing the face of Vladimir Putin, he wrote: “I hope you die the most painful death ever, monster”. Since then, the Ukrainian defender has not failed to show his support for his compatriots, via messages on the same social network.
Another footballer, and not the least, the 2004 Golden Ball and former national coach, Andriy Chevtchenko, also split a message on Twitter on Thursday. “Early in the morning, a full-scale war initiated by Russia began. My people and my family are in danger. Ukraine and its people want peace and territorial integrity.”
Рано вранці почалася повномасштабна війна ініційована Росією. Мій народ і моя сім’я наражаються на небезпеку. Україна та її населення хочуть миру і територіальної цілісності. … https://t.co/p5hDf2bfmY pic.twitter.com/CAHASI4Z29
—Andriy Shevchenko (@jksheva7) February 24, 2022
He too is a footballer and preferred to walk the talk. During the victory of his team, Atalanta Bergamo, against Olympiakos in the Europa League on Thursday, Ruslan Malinovskyi celebrated his goal by unveiling a flocked t-shirt with the following message: “No to the war in Ukraine”.
Mоє серце обливається кров’ю…
Ми, укранцi, просимо підтримку і допомогу всього повномасштабного цивилигтованнов. c.i.Щиро дякую нашим хлопцем i дiвчата, якi боронять нашу Батькивщину #нівійнівукраїні #україна
— Elina Monfils (@ElinaSvitolina) February 25, 2022
“My heart is bleeding… We Ukrainians ask for support and help from all civilized people, claimed tennis player Elina Svitolina in a tweet. My sincere thanks to our boys and girls who defend our Fatherland.” Under martial law, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that men aged 18 to 60 were prohibited from leaving the national territory.
If the nationals of the country with the yellow and blue flag reacted, the world of sport quickly did the same. In a press conference before the trip from his OGC Nice to Strasbourg, Christophe Galtier “dared to hope” that French football does “Something” in support of Ukrainian football. “I don’t know how we can support them, he continued. But we have to support all the players and coaches who are in Ukraine today, and who are under bombardment.”
He was shorter, but his few words will count. On Instagram, the Russian striker of Dynamo Moscow, Fedor Smolov split a “No to war!”. A rare Russian speech since the start of the war. Currently in Dubai, where he is playing in the ATP tournament, his compatriot Andrey Rublev expressed to the press how his match was not “not important” in view of what is happening “far more terrible” in Ukraine.
The situation in Ukraine, Roberto De Zerbi knows it very well. Coach of Shakhtar Donetsk since this summer, the Italian coach is stuck in Kiev, where his team is now based, with his international players and in particular his strong Brazilian contingent. “The Italian Embassy had urged us to leave but I, an athlete, could not turn my back on the club” he explained to Sportitalia. “I had to play a game on Saturday and so, I repeat, I couldn’t run away. It’s difficult to explain it to our loved ones, to those who love us, to the children who text us to tell us to return. This morning they suspended the championship and now our presence becomes superfluous. At this point, we hope that the embassy and the government will help us to return.”
Ukrainian midfielder from French club Bordeaux Danylo Ignatenko, recruited during the last winter transfer window, could not hide his tears in training on Thursday a few hours after the outbreak of war in his country, his coach David Guion said on Friday.
“Yesterday (Thursday) Dany arrived at training in tears”said Guion, “we spoke with him, he is very affected, he has his family there who was supposed to join him (in Bordeaux) on March 1, unfortunately, they will not be able to come, you can imagine why”.
Ignatenko, 24, is from Zaporijia, a town located about 100 kilometers from Donetsk, the scene of large-scale military operations launched Thursday morning by Vladimir Putin’s Russian army. If he trained normally Friday morning at Haillan, his participation in the Clermont match on Sunday has not yet been decided by the Girondin staff. “Very sincerely, it’s day by day”said Guion