Ukraine soccer team captain wishes Vladimir Putin a ‘painful death’

Oleksandr Zinchenko fled from the war. His mother decided that they had to leave the region of Dombas in 2014 due to the conflict with Russia and his football career came to an abrupt halt. He had to train alone on the streets of Moscow until he found refuge in the UFA, a team from the Urals. Today, after the invasion of his country, the one he had to leave behind, Zinchenko spoke directly to Vladimir Putin: “I hope you die in the most painful way”.

When Zinchenko was still a teenager and lived in Ukrainehad a contract with the lower categories of the Shakhtar Donetskwhere it coincided, for example, with Fernando, whom he would meet many years later in the Manchester City. There the footballer began to form and to harden as a person.

Because the war ended his progression into the strongest team in Ukraine in recent years. His mother, just a few days after Zinchenko will face off in the Youth League to the Arsenal from Hector BellerinHe decided that he had to leave the country. He was the safest.

The footballer fell into limbo. He was left without a team, but, due to contractual issues with Shakhtar, he could not sign with any other team. He was only able to train for months on the streets of Moscow and play in amateur leagues.

Yuri Gavrilova former Spartak Moscow player, explained on the BBC a few years ago that when he got down to business to offer Zinchenko to the country’s teams they rejected him. “We already have many young people like him. We want South American players”, they told him.

It wasn’t until July 2014 that he got a test run with the Rubin-Kazan. They were delighted with him and he started training with the first team even though he didn’t even have a salary. He lived for three months in the training center. The year and a half that remained in his contract with Shakhtar, who did not want to let him go, prohibited him from playing official matches, and also prevented him from signing for Rubin, who finally gave up and said goodbye.

“Then Ufa called my agent and they instantly offered me a contract. I was super happy because I hadn’t played for many months”, Zinchenko pointed out to Guardian.

“There were many clubs who were afraid to litigate with Shakhtar, but our lawyers managed it,” Ufa’s press officer added to the BBC. “We even wrote to UEFA. I didn’t know the guy, but I googled him and he was nicknamed the “Ukrainian golden boot”. He had to be signed. We told UEFA that we would pay any compensation that needed to be paid. Zinchenko agreed to play for a very low salary and the club bought a small flat for him to live with his mother”, assured Sergey Tyrtyshnyi.

It was from the 2015/2016 season when Zinchenko became a regular starter in the team and played 33 games. The Manchester City he spotted his potential and signed him at just 19 years old for nearly two million euros. He immediately gave it up PSV Eindhoven and then he recovered it, to gradually put him in the team’s rotation and train him as a left back.

Over the years, Zinchenko is a fixture at City and even started in the final of the first Champions League in the history of the English.

He has captained Ukraine in the Euro 2020 and has worn his jersey 48 times. And this Thursday it exploded: “I hope you die in the most painful way”, he told Vladimir Putin seeing the images of their homeland under attack.

Russia, the country where he had to hit a ball in the streets of Moscow looking for an opportunity, invades his Ukraine. Zinchenko, the refugee, wishes death to Putin. (D)