Manchester City and Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko has responded to the Russian invasion of his homeland with a blazing verbal assault on Vladimir Putin.
In a message that has now been removed, Zinchenko was reported by the media organisation Zorya Londonsk to have posted a picture of Putin with the words: “I hope you die the most painful suffering death, creature”. It was subsequently confirmed that Zinchenko’s post about Putin was deleted by Instagram.
The 25-year-old wing-back also shared another post on Instagram which says, “Russians, is it nice for you to wake up in fascist Germany? Any Russian who has not expressed his opinion loudly now will be considered an enemy forever.”
Zinchenko has played more than 100 games for Manchester City since joining the club in 2016 and was part of squads that won three Premier league titles. He has played 15 games so far this season for City and has won 48 caps for Ukraine.
On Wednesday, he also posted a photograph of Ukraine with the message: “My country. The country where I was born and raised. A country whose colors I defend in the international sports arena. A country that we try to glorify and develop. A country whose borders must remain inviolable. My country belongs to Ukrainians and no one will ever be able to appropriate it. We will not give up! Glory to Ukraine.”
Zinchenko is far from the only Ukrainian athlete to speak out against Russia’s aggression. After former heavyweight world champion-turned Mayor of Kiev Vitali Klitschko declared a state of emergency, his brother and fellow ex-boxer Wladimir posted a message on his Twitter account calling on the world to unite against Russia.
“The world is watching how reckless and deadly imperialism is, not just for Ukraine but the whole world,” said Klitschko, who reigned as heavyweight champion from 2000 until 2015 and unified the division.
“Let history be a lesson to not be repeated.”
He added in a video message: “I’m calling to all international partners to observe this tragedy that is happening nowadays in Ukraine. And this senseless war that is not going to have any winners, but losers. I just want to tell you we must stay united against this aggression, against Russian aggression. Don’t let it continue happening in Ukraine, don’t let it happen in Europe and eventually in the world.
“United we are strong, support Ukraine, thank you.”
Київ в умовах воєнного стану — оперативний штаб столиці оголосив низку рішень в зв’язку з агресією pic.twitter.com/Kgv1D9kfLy
— Віталій Кличко (@Vitaliy_Klychko) February 24, 2022
Ukrainian female tennis player Elina Svitolina posted a supportive message from the president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and added the words: “I am proud to be Ukrainian. We unite in this extremely difficult time for the sake of peace and the future of our state. Glory to Ukraine.”
Vitaliy Mykolenko has revealed he fears for his parents’ safety in Ukraine. The Everton full-back, who arrived in January from Dynamo Kiev, is scheduled to play against his countryman Zinchenko on Saturday when his team face Manchester City.
“I want the whole world to know that the Russian army is now killing civilians in all cities of Independent Ukraine,” Mykolenko wrote on his Instagram feed.
“Russian writes that they are defending Donetsk and Luhansk but this is not true!!!! It’s hard to hear the anxious voice of my parents who are looking for an opportunity to protect themselves and help others and I cannot help my parents.
“I ask the whole world to help my homeland. I am proud to be Ukrainian. Glory to Ukraine.”
The comments come as the pressure mounted on Fifa and Uefa to take action against Russia. St Petersburg is due to hold the Champions League final in May and Russia is still involved in World Cup play-offs, with a fixture due in Moscow against Poland next month and then potentially against Sweden or the Czech Republic for a place at the finals in Qatar later this year.
Karl-Erik Nilsson, the chairman of the Swedish Football Association, has described the current prospect of playing against Russia as “almost unthinkable”. He said: “Spontaneously, around the feelings we have as we wake up this morning, are that it is almost unthinkable that we in a few weeks would play a football match in Russia.
“As it looks here and now, today, there is absolutely no desire to play a football match in Russia. Our thoughts go to our friends in Ukraine over the situation they woke up to today, it’s awful. Football should be seen as something of less importance in the middle of this inferno.
“I believe that (in these situations) much is called for very quickly – we will need to live and socialise even in the future, and I think we shouldn’t be too quick with solutions. Instead, we should take our time and see what actions are needed, For the moment we are looking forward to arms being laid down and that peace and freedom come into existence.”
Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, who has been linked with Premier League clubs this season, is trying to escape Ukraine where he is based with his wife.
Fonseca, 48, coached Shakhtar Donetsk for three years and was based in Kyiv city centre after leaving Roma last season. It is understood he is trying to get to neighbouring countries but airports are closed and a petrol shortage means driving to the border is not possible.
“My family and I are going through a very tough time in the middle of an unacceptable war,” he said. “However we believe peace will eventually prevail and we must remain strong.
“I’ve received many messages and wanted to thank everyone for the care that you have shown.”
Vitali Klitschko ready to enlist in Ukranian army
By Jeremy Wilson
Vitali Klitschko, the former world heavyweight champion and the mayor of Kyiv, has said that he is ready to join Ukrainian soldiers in fighting against the Russian invasion of his country.
Klitschko, who posted a joint message on Twitter yesterday with brother Wladaimir, another former world heavyweight champion, also declared a state of emergency in the Ukrainian capital city.
Asked on Thursday morning if he was ready to join civilians and soldiers in fighting against the Russian military, Vitali, who is 50, said: “I don’t have another choice. I have to do that,” before adding: “I will be fighting. I believe in Ukraine. I believe in my country and I believe in my people.”
His younger brother Wladimir, who is 45, enlisted in Ukraine’s reserve army in Kyiv earlier this month, saying that love for his country compelled him to defend it. Ukraine has been braced for a military offensive over recent weeks after Russia assembled tens of thousands of troops near their borders.
“One district from here, my little girl is going to school,” said Wladimir. “It is the love, the love for my city, my home, my family, my neighbours, my daughter that has brought me here, that I took this initiative and am now taking part in this territorial defence.
“I can’t stand still and I won’t. That’s why I signed up for the territorial defence of the country and the city.”
His older brother Vitali, who has been mayor of Kyiv since 2014, has warned of a “very painful price for everyone”.
He said that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had “totally” lost all sense of reality and that there were “many, many examples” of Ukrainians dying following the attack.