West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko has joined his Ukraine teammates in a plea for football to continue its support for their home country following the invasion of Russia.
The Ukrainian internationals have issued a plea to all involved in football to “to show and tell the truth about war in Ukraine” and fight back against Russian propaganda.
Vladimir Putin instructed his forces to invade their neighbour in the early hours of Thursday last week, incorrectly claiming that the Russian military were carrying out a “special military operation” with the objective demilitarisation and “denazification” of Ukraine.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, responded by asking how a people who lost eight million of its citizens fighting Nazis could support Nazism. “How could I be a Nazi?” said Mr Zelensky, who is himself Jewish.
The Ukrainian squad have called on football to use its power and global reach to fight such claims following a show of support over fixtures at the weekend, where there were tributes from West Ham for Yarmolenko and from Everton and Manchester City to Vitaliy Mykolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
We are Ukrainians. We are one. We are defending our land. 🇺🇦
— Andriy Yarmolenko (@Yarmolenko_7) March 1, 2022
We ask your support 🙏🏻#StopWarInUkraine pic.twitter.com/rA0WmmLnZv
In a video posted on social media which shows harrowing images of the attacks on their country, the Ukraine squad deliver the following message: “We appeal to the football community, to everyone who is united by the love for the game of football. Every fan, player coach and manager. Everyone who understands and loves football.
“We appeal to you to explain to the whole world and show to every inhabitant of planet Earth that under the cover of special operation Russian troops are waging open war against Ukraine.
“They are bombarding residential areas with missiles and shooting civilians. We call everyone who hears us to resist this war, stop the destruction and bloodshed.
“We ask all world football communities to oppose Russian propaganda, to show and tell the truth about war in Ukraine by all possible resources. We thank everyone who has already done this and everyone who will support us.
“No to war. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.”
In sporting terms, FIFA were yesterday forced into a U-turn and barred Russia and Russian domestic clubs from involvement in international football - meaning they will not be present at this summer's Women's European Championship or the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
