LONDON — Russian businessman Roman Abramovich said on Wednesday he had decided to sell Chelsea Football Club, 19 years after buying the London side, and promised to donate money from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
MOSCOW — Former Ukrainian international Yaroslav Rakitskiy has severed ties with Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg, the club said on Wednesday, as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
The 32-year-old, who won 54 caps for Ukraine before retiring from international duty in 2019, asked Zenit to terminate his contract, which was set to expire in June.
Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko. Those are the names of the first two footballers who died in Ukraine because of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbor. Two young men who circumstances turned from soccer players to casualties.
FIFPRO, the global football players union, confirmed the news on Tuesday.
Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25), football’s first reported losses in this war.
It’s hard to remember a time when ESPN and Fox didn’t dominate the U.S. soccer TV landscape. The two have aired every World Cup since 1994 and have been the consistent home for U.S. women’s and men’s national team games over the last decade. That era is ending, though worry not, it won’t change too much.
According to U.S. intelligence reports, Russia has encountered far more resistance than it anticipated in its invasion of Ukraine while also overestimating its ability to win a propaganda war in the region.
The athletes of Ukraine have helped on both fronts by actively taking up arms against the Russian invaders and by using their massive platforms to educate us all on their nation's desire for peace, freedom and democracy in the face of such a horrific assault.
Everton and Ukrainian defender Vitaliy Mykolenko didn’t hold anything back when he went after Zenit and Russian striker Artem Dzyuba over Instagram on Tuesday. The Mykolenko Instagram story tagged Dzyuba condemning him and the Russian national team for remaining silent on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel lost his temper at a news conference ahead of their FA Cup match at Luton Town and snapped at journalists after being repeatedly asked about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The world of sports continued to isolate Russia on Tuesday after it launched its invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea last week following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin.
️ "So even to talk about it I feel bad because I'm very privileged."
Hope Solo, one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the game, is known almost as well for her exploits on the pitch as her voice off it. This week, her voice will have a new platform via a Hope Solo podcast, which launches Wednesday, March 2, with what promises to be a must-listen first episode featuring Carli Lloyd.
“Hope Solo Speaks” is an original SiriusXM podcast available every Wednesday on the SXM App, Stitcher, Pandora, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms. It will also air on SiriusXM FC on satellite radio. You can check out a trailer below.
FIFA is set to suspend Russia's national teams from international football until further notice due to the country's invasion of Ukraine, a source with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters on Monday.
FIFA is in advanced talks with European soccer body UEFA over the matter and a decision could be made later on Monday.
European governing body UEFA is due to hold an executive committee meeting at 1800 CET on Monday to decide on several issues relating to Russian football.
The past week had been emotional for not just the soccer world but everyone as news continues to flood in about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The soccer community has produced an amazing response with symbols of peace and protest in many games.
Amid all the chaos BT Sport analyst Peter Crouch has given soccer fans something to smile about with a hilarious video of him and Rio Ferdinand preparing for a live shot after the Tottenham vs. Leeds game. Watch what happens when all six feet seven inches of Crouch tries to stand up in the rather small commentary box.