Ukrainian Zabarniy comments on playing with Russian player at PSG: clear civic stance and professionalism
Famous Ukrainian defender of Paris Saint-Germain, Illia Zabarniy, made a significant statement regarding his attitude towards collaborating with Russian player Matvei Safonov within the team.
In his words, he emphasized his unequivocal civic position and highlighted the importance of maintaining principled stance amid the current political situation.
Zabarniy explained that his personal beliefs and ideology shape his attitude toward Russian colleagues, as he considers Russia an aggressor country that has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for over four years, causing destruction of Ukrainian independence and freedom.”I have a clear civic position: in my country, a large-scale war with Russia has been ongoing for four years.
Russians are aggressors who mercilessly try to destroy our freedom and independence.
The war continues, and I cannot support any contacts with Russian citizens because my position is honest and clear,” Zabarniy stated during the ‘Football 360’ program on YouTube.Regarding his cooperation with the Russian teammate, the defender emphasized that within professional duties, he has to interact with Safonov during training, but his personal convictions remain unchanged.
“I will fulfill all my obligations to the club and colleagues while maintaining my civic stance,” he added.Zabarniy also noted that during the war, he fully supports the idea of isolating Russian football globally, expressing that sports should not be lenient towards political conflicts.Recall that on August 12, PSG officially announced the transfer of Ukrainian defender from Bournemouth for 63 million euros, with a contract until 2030, and the player will wear the number six jersey.
One of the main conditions for Zabarniy’s transfer was to cut ties with Russian player Safonov, highlighting his clear civic stance.
It is also noted that in the past season, the Russian ex-goalkeeper of Krasnodar played 17 matches for Paris in various tournaments.The first comments from PSG management regarding the relationship between Zabarniy and the Russian player are currently absent, but there is information that coach Luis Enrique is trying to clarify the situation and supports open dialogue with the Ukrainian footballer, emphasizing the importance of his civic and sporting integrity.