MANCHESTER CITY star Oleksandr Zinchenko insists only his family stopped him from heading back to Ukraine to fight Russia’s troops.
The defender discovered his homeland was being invaded when his wife Vlada woke him up at midnight last week to deliver the grim news.
Oleksandr Zinchenko broke down in tears as he explained the torment of war in Ukraine
The star’s wife Vlada woke him up at midnight last week to tell him about the invasion
Zinchenko has continued to train and play for Man City amid the turmoil
Zinchenko says his daughter and family are the only reason he is not fighting in Ukraine
Zinchenko continued to train at City despite the turmoil and was made captain for the FA Cup win over Peterborough United on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old has been receiving hundreds of videos of Russia attacking from his friends back in Ukraine over the past few days.
Now the emotional Zinchenko has expressed his thanks at the support his nation has received since the outbreak of war as he revealed why he remained in England instead of following boxing stars Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko into battle.
Speaking to Gary Lineker during an interview with BBC Sport, the City ace said: “I’m just crying. It’s already [been] a week – I’m not counting – but even when I drive the car from the training ground, I can just cry from nothing.
“It’s everything in my head. Imagine the place where you were born, where you were growing up and there is just empty ground.
“I can show you one million pictures and videos of every city in my country which they destroyed.
“A security operation? Impossible. This is a real war. What they are doing is not acceptable. We need to stop this.
“People there are sending me facts… they are starving. People are just surviving, sleeping underground and in bunkers.”
The tearful Zinchenko continued: “I’ll be honest, if not for my daughter, my family, I would be there.
“I’m just born like that. I know the people from my country, the mentality of them and all of them think exactly the same.
“I’m so proud to be Ukrainian, and I will be forever for the rest of my life. And when you’re watching the people, how they fight for their lives… there are no words.
“I know the people, the mentality of my people from my country, they prefer to die, and they will die. But they’re not going to give [up].”
The defender has thanked the world for its support of his under-attack nation
Zinchenko captained Man City in their FA Cup win at Peterborough on Tuesday
