JAKARTA – Oleksandr Zinchenko invited a 10-year-old boy who was a refugee from the Ukrainian war to train in Manchester City.
The invitation was meant to make the boy feel free for a while from the war that threatened his life and that of millions of children and other Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian midfielder then uploaded his togetherness with the boy on Instagram. The upload was accompanied by a touching caption.
"This is Andrei. He is 10 years old. He is safe today. Like most Ukrainians, he was forced to leave his home with his family because of the war," Zinchenko wrote in the post's caption, reported by BBC Sport.
Zinchenko is a very vocal figure talking about the war in Ukraine. In March, he admitted to being traumatized by Gary Lineker when he saw what was happening in his home country.
Because of that, he was given time off by his club in the early days of the Russian invasion. After being given time off, Zinchenko was entrusted with wearing the captain's armband for Manchester City's FA Cup tie against Peterborough in March.
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Zinchenko said that to this day he still feels pain in his mind from the war waged by Russia. Moreover, many children had their childhoods taken away by the invasion and even their lives.
"75 days ago, this boy dreamed of becoming a soccer player and training carefree with his team," wrote Zinchenko.
"Today, he only dreams of one thing; about peace in our country. About tranquility. About a normal life at home," he wrote again.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is still ongoing today since it began on February 24. During that time, it is estimated that more than 12 million people have left Ukraine to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
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