"I'm just crying" - Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko says he would have joined the war in Ukraine if not for family
As per reports by the Daily Mail, Manchester City and Ukraine full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko says that his family has kept him from traveling home. He wants to join the fight against the Russian invasion in his homeland.
The Manchester City star hails from Radomyshl in Northern Ukraine. It is one of the cities that has been targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin in last week's onslaught on Ukrainian cities.
Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and the capital, Kyiv, have also come under heavy Russian artillery.
The 25-year-old told Gary Lineker on BBC Sport:
"At midnight UK time, my wife woke me up and she was crying. I was in shock. She showed me the videos, the pictures, what's going on now in Ukraine... I'm just crying. It’s already [been] a week - I'm not counting - but even when I drive the car from the training ground, I can just cry from nothing. It's everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground."
He added:
"I can show you one million pictures and videos of every city in my country which they destroyed. A security operation? Impossible. This is a real war. What they are doing is not acceptable. We need to stop this. People there are sending me facts… they are starving. People are just surviving, sleeping underground and in bunkers."
Oleksandr Zinchenko in tears as Manchester City and Everton show their support of Ukraine before their game 🇺🇦
(via @footballdaily)
https://t.co/7P7QvwQkpI
The Manchester City defender posted an Instagram story last week in which he wished Vladimir Putin 'the most painful suffering death.' However, he claimed that the social media site deleted the story. He added about the war:
"I'll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there. I'm just born like that. I know the people from my country, the mentality of them and all of them think exactly the same.
He added:
"I'm so proud to be Ukrainian, and I will be forever for the rest of my life. And when you're watching the people, how they fight for their lives… there are no words. I know the people, the mentality of my people from my country, they prefer to die, and they will die. But they're not going to give [up]."
The defender continues to receive support from both Manchester City and rival fans during matches and online.
Could the Manchester City ace join other sportspeople who have enlisted in the army?
On Thursday, Goal reported that two Ukrainian footballers had lost their lives while fighting the Russian forces.
They were 21-year-old Vitalii Sapylo and 25-year-old Dmytro Martynenko. Sapylo was a youth keeper with third-division side Karpaty while Martynenko played in defense for second-division side FC Hostomel.
Meanwhile, the International Biathlon Union (IBU) confirmed that 19-year-old professional skier Yevhen Malyshev had also been killed. He had also enlisted in the war in the Ukrainian military, as reported by People.
Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25), football’s first reported losses in this war.
May they both rest in peace. https://t.co/f6l9oHHRMr
Multiple professional athletes are among Ukrainian nationals who have taken up arms to repel the Russian army. Boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who defeated Britain's Anthony Joshua in September, is believed to have left London to take part in the war.
Fellow three-weight pungilist Vasiliy Lomachenko is also reported to have left Greece immediately after the war broke out. He reportedly traveled through Romania to enlist in the army.
A photo on the 34-year-old's Facebook page featured the boxer wearing military with a kalashnikov strapped across his shoulder, as reported by Sport Bible.
Two of Ukraine's most famous boxers have also signed up to fight in the war. They include Vitali Klitschko, the current Mayor of Kyiv and the 50-year-old’s brother Wladimir Klitschko.
CNN reported that 36-year-old tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky cut short his family vacation in Dubai and has returned to Kyiv to fight the Russians.
Zinchenko captained Manchester City on Tuesday when they beat Peterborough 2-0 in the fifth round of the FA Cup. But he could be given time off on Sunday when the Citizens host rivals Manchester United.