Martin Ødegaard of Arsenal celebrates with teammates Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko after scoring their side’s second goal in the Florida Cup match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Camping World Stadium. Photo: AFP
Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal’s Ukrainian defender, said he will set aside personal friendships when Ukraine faces England at Wembley, but he will always be grateful for the support shown by his teammates and the British public during a “nightmare” year. The match is Ukraine’s opening fixture of the Euro 2024 qualification campaign and comes against the backdrop of a more than year‑long war following Russia’s invasion.
Zinchenko, who joined Premier League leaders Arsenal from Manchester City in the pre‑season, explained that the support of his colleagues in England—where he has lived since 2016—has touched him deeply. “I love them all so much, but unfortunately on the pitch there are no friends, so let’s see what is going to happen tomorrow,” the 26‑year‑old told a pre‑match news conference on Saturday. “I got a lot of support from all of them (teammates), for which I am so grateful. I would also like to say a massive thanks to all of the UK for the help and support for us Ukrainians, for the country, our people, and all the refugees who are living here.”
Addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Zinchenko added, “There is no one in the country who has not been affected. It is about 397 days since terrorists invaded our country, and I would call these 397 days a ‘nightmare’. Everyone in Ukraine lost something—maybe a house, a job, property—everyone has completely changed since then, that is for sure.”
England began their Group C qualifying campaign with a 2‑1 away win over Italy, the reigning champions who defeated Gareth Southgate’s men in the final two years ago. “We realise the strength of the England team, but we have to show our best performance and play the best games of our lives,” said Zinchenko.
Ukraine warmed up with a 2‑0 friendly win against Brentford B in London on Thursday. “We know there will be an amazing atmosphere at Wembley,” said Ukraine interim head coach Ruslan Rotan. “We consider England one of the top five teams in the world. We dream of playing in such matches, we enjoy them. Tomorrow, in this beautiful country and beautiful stadium, we are ready to show a great game.”
AFP
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