They confirm the death of two Ukrainian soccer players in the middle of the Russian attacks

Two Ukrainian soccer players died during the Russian invasion of their country. These are Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, as reported on Tuesday by the world players’ union (FIFPro), which has expressed its sorrow and pain at the deaths.

Vitalii Sapylo, 21, belonged to Karpaty Lviv’s youth team, while Dmytro ‘Dima’ Martynenko, at the age of 25, played for FC Gostomel.

“Our thoughts are with the families, friends and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football’s first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace,” said FIFPro.

El Karpaty announced Sapylo’s death, saying in a statement that his death occurred on Friday, February 25 “near Kiev” in “combat with Russian forces while defending” the Ukrainian capital. “Eternal memory of this hero,” wrote his club.

For its part, Martynenko was killed along with his mother after a bombing at their homeas explained by the local Kyiv-Sviatoshynskyi federation on its Facebook page.

According to the Ukrainian government, More than 350 civilians have died from the war that Russia started when it invaded the neighboring country last Thursday, February 24.

Union in the Ukrainian players

Several Ukrainian national team players, including stars Oleksandr Zinchenko and Andriy Yarmolenko, have called on the football world to “resist” against the Russian invasion of their country, in a video posted on social media on Tuesday by the Ukrainian Federation (UAF).

“We ask the entire world of football to oppose Russian propaganda, to show and tell the truth about the war in Ukraine by all possible means,” the thirteen Zbirna players acclaim in a common statement.

Zinchenko (Manchester City), Yarmolenko (West Ham), Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta) o Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk) They appear throughout a two-minute video, interrupted by images of the conflict that broke out on Thursday in various areas of Ukraine.

“We call on all who hear us to resist this war, to stop the destruction and bloodbath. No to war”, say the players.

Several of these international they have already raised 500,000 euros ($560,000) to help the Ukrainian Armed Forcesaccording to the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF).

Over the weekend, in England or Germany, where Bayern Munich captain Robert Lewandowski wore an armband in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, the world of football has shown its support for Ukraine.

Fifa and Uefa have suspended Russia from international competitionsespecially the 2022 World Cup (November 21 to December 18).

For its part, Ukraine can still qualify for Qatar. To do this, they must beat Scotland in Glasgow on March 24 and then the winner of the duel between Austria and Wales.

*With information from Europa Press and AFP.

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