March 2 – While football’s governing bodies and clubs with Russian sponsorship are turning their back on the country following the invasion of Ukraine, individual protest action is also gathering pace.
Lokomotiv Moscow’s German manager, Markus Gisdol (pictured), who has been in the job since last October, has resigned.
“I can’t do that job in a country whose leader has invaded another country in the middle of Europe. That does not go together with my values and I have therefore resigned as manager of Lokomotiv Moscow with immediate effect,” Gisdol told Bild.
“I can’t stand at the training ground in Moscow and coach the players, ask them to be professional when a few kilometres away there are orders given that brings suffering to the people of a whole country. This is my personal decision and I am absolutely convinced it is the right one.”
While Gisdol is leaving in a point of principle (Lokomotiv Moscow are saying they sacked him), his German assistant Marvin Compper, is staying and will take charge of the team for the upcoming games.
Foreign players evacuated
In contrast to the Russian League continuing as normal, the Ukrainian league is obviously suspended with the league and clubs aiding the evacuation of their overseas players.
A group of around 20 Brazilians, including players and their families, who had been sheltering in a hotel in Kyiv, and included Shakhtar Donetsk’s Junior Moraes, have been evacutated to Romania following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Premier League, working with UEFA, have moved 12 players from Shakhtar, Dynamo Kyiv and SK Dnipro-1 have also managed to move foreign players from Ukraine. All clubs in areas that are now under Russian siege
In a statement Shakhtar said: “We want to thank for the assistance everyone who took part in this process. The evacuation of the players was made possible thanks to the personal assistance of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, the Ukrainian Football Association President Andrii Pavelko and the Moldovan Football Federation President Leonid Oleinichenko.”
The Ukrainian Premier League has not played since December 11, in part due to its winter break but due to the conflict. Shakhtar were the league leaders when play stopped.
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