AFC Bournemouth
The weekend's round of matches saw the Premier League mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
AFC Bournemouth's captain Neto wore an armband in the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag while Gary O'Neil wore a pin badge designed by Ukrainian children.
The Cherries’ Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi was pleased to learn of the gesture as he discussed his experiences of living in Kyiv in the height of the conflict.
The 20-year-old was born and raised in Ukraine’s capital city, playing for Dynamo Kyiv until January, when he completed a permanent transfer to the Cherries.
Speaking to the programme MATCHDAY, Zabarnyi said: “I’m proud to be Ukrainian. Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream and it’s a glory on my country that I get to do that.
“This gesture is very important for everyone, for all the Ukrainian people. Every day people die in Ukraine and the world needs to know what is happening in my country.”
It was on 24th February 2022 when the invasion of Ukraine began and heavy fighting occurred in Kyiv until April, with the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Battles have continued to rage on across the country and 7,199 civilians have been killed, according to The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, although the figure is estimated to be much higher.
While turning out for hometown team Dynamo Kyiv, Zabarnyi saw the 2021/22 campaign abandoned after just 18 matches, due to the commencement of martial law which saw all sports events cancelled.
During the stoppage, Kyiv joined forces with Shakhtar Donetsk to partake in a Global Tour for Peace, raising funds to provide aid for people in Ukraine.
During the tour, Zabarnyi visited 14 countries to play 32 matches against teams from 15 nations, including Everton, AS Roma, Lyon, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe and Dinamo Zagreb.
The defender admits he was overwhelmed by the support shown around the world: “The last year has been so difficult for everyone who lives in Ukraine.
“We travelled around the world and played games for peace, saying that we don’t need war, we need support. In the last year, I travelled a lot so everyone will know about the war.
“We’d go to another country, and it doesn’t matter which team we played against, people have supported us and respected us and it’s very nice to see.
“I want to say, the love is not for me but for the people who defend Ukraine.”
The 2022/23 campaign resumed for Zabarnyi in August, with matches played only in certain cities and without supporters.
The youngster revealed that it was a strange experience for him, with rocket attacks being a frequent barrier to playing matches with air raid shelters located close to stadiums.
“We didn’t have fans in the stadiums. If there was a fire attack, we’d all go to one place of safety underground, and if it finishes, we’d start to play.
“When there’s an attack, you don’t know where the rocket will land. It’s very dangerous. It’s scary, you listen, and you can hear the bomb.
“It’s scary. You’re not scared for your life, but your family’s lives. After the war started, you just become another human and you need to be strong.
“What’s amazing is people try to help each other. You might not know this person, but they come to us and help, which is brilliant.”
