Footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko have been killed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
(Picture: Twitter/@FIFPRO)Two Ukrainian footballers, Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, have been killed following their country’s invasion by Russia.
FIFPRO, the global players’ union, announced the pair’s deaths as “football’s first reported losses” during the conflict, which began last week.
Sapylo, a 21-year-old goalkeeper with third-tier side Karpaty Lviv, is said to have died in Kyiv last Friday after joining the army as a tank commander.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Martynenko, who last played for second-tier FC Gostomel, was reportedly killed after Russian bombs hit his home in an apartment block in the capital.
A FIFPRO statement read: “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. May they both rest in peace.”
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.
— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) March 1, 2022
May they both rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/f6l9oHHRMr
Football has largely turned against Russia following the invasion, with both the country and its clubs banned from Fifa and Uefa competition, including this summer’s women’s European Championship and next month’s men’s World Cup qualifying play-offs.
Russia has also been denied the right to host any international matches or competitions, with St. Petersburg stripped of this season’s men’s Champions League Final.
There have been shows of support for Ukraine and its people at matches across Europe, including ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final at Wembley.
