The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has now spilt into PSG. New signing Illia Zabarnyi reportedly requested the departure of Matvey Safonov before joining the club.
Far from calming things down, the Ukrainian defender added fuel to the fire with a sharp remark: “I support the total isolation of Russian football.”
The war, triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has dominated headlines for years and shows no signs of ending soon. Now, it has unexpectedly affected football at Paris Saint-Germain, involving two players in the squad: Ukrainian Illia Zabarnyi and Russian Matvey Safonov.
Zabarnyi, who joined PSG this summer from Bournemouth, made waves after compatriot Denys Boyko—former goalkeeper for Dynamo Kyiv, Dnipro, and Besiktas—revealed that the new signing had requested Safonov’s exclusion as a condition for his move.
“I spoke with Illia, and he told me he wanted the Russian not to be part of PSG. Unfortunately, not everything depends on him. Safonov has a contract until 2029, and it cannot be terminated,” Boyko told Futbol 360.
Rather than defusing the situation, Zabarnyi directly addressed the issue: “I have to interact with him professionally, that’s the way it is. But for as long as the war lasts, I will support the isolation of Russian football,” he said, referencing the FIFA and UEFA sanctions that have kept Russia’s national team out of international competition since early 2022.
Safonov, who joined PSG in 2023, has yet to respond publicly and appears committed to staying at the club. “I am ready to fight for new trophies and new opportunities at PSG,” the goalkeeper said recently.
Now, the responsibility falls on Luis Enrique, who, besides his role as coach, may have to act as a mediator to prevent the conflict from disrupting the harmony of the dressing room of Europe’s current champions.