English Premier League defending champions Manchester City have been permitted to let Ukrainian refugee Andrii Kravchuk train with them. The move follows intervention by City and Ukraine defender Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Ukraine Refugee Andrii Kravchuk Trains with Manchester City
The pair played together at the youth level at Shakhtar Donetsk. Kravchuk was on a training camp in Turkey with his Russian club side Torpedo Moscow when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. The 23-year-old playmaker has now terminated his contract with the Russian club and fled to Manchester, where he will train with City’s Under-23 squad for the remainder of the season.
Speaking about his decision to end his contract, he said: “I felt uncomfortable.” “I was playing in a country that invaded my homeland. Leaving the club was the only decision. People in Ukraine would not understand me if I continued to play there.”
Kravchuk’s family remains in Kyiv, where his brother Aleks is fighting in the country’s armed forces. “I tell him every day how proud I am of him, for not only protecting our family but the whole country and the Ukrainian people. He is staying and fighting,” Kravchuk explained.
Earlier this month, the Premier League blocked Burnley’s bid for Victor Moses from Spartak Moscow despite Fifa amending their rules to allow overseas players in the Russian Premier League to sign for clubs in other countries outside the transfer window. But as Kravchuk is only training, they have agreed to let him join Manchester City, so he can maintain his fitness and continue his development.
