Foreign players abandon Ukraine clubs

(AFP) – At least seven foreign players for two
top Ukrainian football teams have refused to
return to the country as tensions mount after
the Malaysia Airlines crash, media reported
Sunday.
Six players for champions Shakhtar Donetsk
players and an Argentine with Metalist Kharkiv
are too worried for their safety, the reports
said.
The six Donetsk players refused to fly back to
Ukraine after their side were beaten 4-1 by
Lyon in a friendly Saturday in the French town
of Annecy, ITAR-TASS news agency said.
It named five of the players as Brazilians Alex
Teixeira, Fred, Douglas Costa, Dentinho and
Argentine Facundo Ferreyra.
“I don’t want to give any comments for the
moment,” Shakhtar general manager Sergei
Palkin was quoted as saying by Tribuna
information site.
Meanwhile, Metalist Kharkiv’s Argentine
midfielder Sebastian Blanco refused to return
to Ukraine from a training camp in Austria, the
R-Sport agency reported.
“After the Malaysian plane’s crash I have no
intention to return to Ukraine,” the 26-year-
old footballer was quoted as saying.
“The situation there is currently abnormal. I
decided to stay in Buenos Aires.”
Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU) is
maintaining the start of the national
championship for July 25 despite the troubles
in the east of the country heightened by the
apparent shooting down of the Malaysian
Airlines jet on Thursday.
“The entire country mourns over the tragedy
that happened. It’s terrible,” an FFU
spokesman Pavel Ternovoi said. “But it will
not influence the national championship kick
off. We insist that football should stay out of
politics.”