After winning the English Premier League title for the fourth time with his club Manchester City, Ukrainian footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko has said he found it hard to even think about football after Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Speaking to Sky Sports after draping the Ukrainian flag around the Premier League trophy, an emotional Zinchenko called it an unforgettable moment.
“I’m so proud to be Ukrainian,” he said. “I would love to one day bring this title to Ukraine, for all Ukrainian people, because they deserve it.”
Zinchenko said the time since the invasion began was the “toughest period in my life”.
In an interview with BBC Sport’s Gary Lineker soon after the start of the war, the Manchester City defender said he could not count the number of times he had cried since Russia’s invasion began.