Manchester City Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko told the BBC on Saturday that if it hadn't been for his daughter he would have left to fight to defend his country against the Russian invasion.
Several sports stars, retired or active, such as world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, took up arms and, "I'll be honest, if it hadn't been for my daughter, my family , I would be there, ”assured the 25-year-old player.
“I am so proud to be Ukrainian and I will be for the rest of my life (…) I know my people, the mentality of the people of my country, they would rather die and they will die.
But they will never give up, ”he added during the interview with the British television channel, on the eve of the derby against Manchester United, counting for the 28th day of the Premier League.
Zinchenko recounted how he experienced the night of the outbreak of the invasion.
“At midnight, my wife woke me up and she was crying.
I was in shock.
She showed me the videos, the photos of what is happening in Ukraine now,” he explained.
"I was just crying"
"Perhaps the closest thing to the feeling I've had is when someone close to you dies.
You know, that feeling of feeling so bad inside.
But it was even worse,” he continued, “I was just crying.”
Zinchenko, who played a year and a half with Russian club Ufa before joining City, lamented the silence of Russian footballers.
“I was surprised that no one, not one of them,” spoke.
“Most of them play for the national team and they have loads of followers on Instagram, Facebook, etc.
They could at least do something to stop this war.
Because people listen to them (...) but they don't, they ignore (the situation).
I do not know why ".
Tuesday, in the FA Cup, against Peterborough (D2), Zinchenko had inherited the captain's armband, ceded by Fernandinho.
On Matchday 28 of the Premier League this weekend, demonstrations of support for the Ukrainian people will be staged at all matches and the captains of the twenty teams will wear armbands in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.