reaction to conflict
Ronaldo and Co. avoid Russian partners
2/23/2022, 6:26 p.m
Manchester United will not travel to the Champions League game in Madrid with Aeroflot. The English record champion avoids his own partner. It is the first striking reaction to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in football.
England’s record champions Manchester United were the first football club to set an example in view of the escalation in the Russia conflict. As the online magazine “The Athletic” and the “Daily Mail” reported, the Red Devils canceled their flight with Aeroflot to Madrid at short notice due to the latest developments for the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League at Atlético.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Ralf Rangnick and Co. jet to Spain on a charter plane. Man United otherwise always flies to the games in the European competition with the Russian airline. Aeroflot is the official partner of the club – according to information from “The Athletic” the partnership with the Russian company should continue.
The Ukrainian national player Oleksander Zinchenko reacted to the developments in his home country with great concern and outrage. “My country belongs to the Ukrainians and no one will ever be able to take it,” the 25-year-old wrote on Instagram. Zinchenko has been with Manchester City since 2016, before that he played for Russian club FK Ufa. “The whole civilized world is concerned about the situation in my country.”
“must join forces”
On Monday, Russia recognized the eastern Ukrainian separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. This had been condemned by Kiev and the West as a violation of international law. According to UN estimates, more than 14,000 people have been killed in eastern Ukraine in recent years.
Like many from the sports scene, RB Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco is also following the escalation of the conflict, the 36-year-old trained Spartak Moscow from October 2019 to the end of May 2021. “I haven’t commented on many other topics. This topic in particular is something that interests me and that I’m following. That’s clear,” said Tedesco. “Of course I’m following it and I hope that a peaceful solution will come out in the end.”
Football idol Andrei Shevchenko has called on his home country Ukraine to unite in view of the threat posed by neighboring Russia. “Today is a difficult time for all of us. But we have to unite,” wrote “Europe’s Footballer of the Year” from 2004 on Instagram and Twitter. “We have gone through many difficult times and over the past 30 years we have formed as a nation! A nation of sincere, hardworking and freedom-loving citizens! This is our greatest asset!”