Ukraine and France face this Friday in Poland (in Wroclaw), in the start of the D Grupo D of the European Qualification Zone for the 2026 World Cup. Commanding the Ukrainian defense will be Illia Zabarnyi, a 23-year-old defense by PSG to Bournemouth for 63 million euros. And dominating conversations before the game is the complicated dynamic it brought to the Parisian resort.
“I spoke to Illia and I know he asked, as a condition to go to PSG, that the Russian would not continue at the club,” said Denis Boyko, who was Zabarnyi’s companion in Dynamo Kiev, to Football 360from Ukraine.
The «Russian» is Matvey Safonov, a 26-year-old goalkeeper hired by PSG to Krasnodar for 20 million euros. And despite Zabarnyi’s demand, he remains in Paris as the alternate of Chevalier, who replaced Donnarumma in eleven. Unfortunately, not everything could run as expected. This person has a contract until 2029 that cannot be terminated, ”added Boyko.
Zabarnyi and Safonov were then ordered to share the resort. But it is disagreeed who thinks football allows to exceed other divisions.
«In my country, a large -scale war has been burning for four years. The Russians are the aggressors who try to destroy Ukraine’s freedom and independence. The war continues and I do not maintain any relationships with Russians. As for my teammate, I have to interact with him with a professional level in training and fulfill my obligations with the club. But as long as the war continues, it completely supports the isolation of Russian football in the world, ”he assumed the Ukrainian central defender three days ago, also in an interview with Football 360without ever mentioning Safonov’s name, as Boyko did.
At the service of the Russian national team, suspended by UEFA and unable to participate in the qualification for the World Cup precisely due to the invasion of Ukraine, Safonov was confronted with Zabarnyi’s statements, but refused to comment.
The problem may even resolve it soon-there is a talk of the Russian goalkeeper to his country, to Spartak Moscow; The market in Russia is still open. But after the exits of Donnarumma and Arnau Tenas this summer, if Safonov is transferred PSG would only be with 19-year-old Italo-Brazilian-Brazilian, who arrived from Roma in the end of contract, as an alternative to Chevalier.
Zabarnyi’s clear reservations in sharing the Safonov resort had been clear soon after the central arrived in Paris. The player hired to Bournemouth immediately followed all the teammates on Instagram… except the Russian goalkeeper.
Farther away was Zabarnyi’s wife, Angelina, with two publications on Telegram who later deleted: “It’s a pity that they can’t be swept from the face of the planet forever,” he wrote first about the Russians. In the face of some reactions, he returned to the burden: “My God, how these scoundrels are offended! Terrorists do not have the right to exist or be treated well. »
Two weeks ago, Luis Enrique, PSG coach, tried to minimize the problem. “Sport, and particularly football, is the best of ways to have the ability to include people and to make the union, not separation. Sport and people are beyond the political commitments or economic interests of politicians, ”said the Spanish coach.
Clearly, clueless of Zabarnyi’s position, who in March last year, already playing in England, admitted, in an interview with Times: «I thought I went back to fight. I can grab a gun and learn, I can say, ‘Enough, I don’t want to play football anymore’. But no, I have to play, the Ukrainians need me to tell the world what is happening. »
