Yuri and Yaroslav played for Zenit in different years, Anatoly still works there
Head coach Krivbassa Yuri Vernidub spoke harshly about his former compatriot, ex-footballer Anatoly Tymoshchukwhich remained at the Russian zenith after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Tymoshchuk is not a man to me. It is even more incredible that he is from Western Ukraine. But he chose this path. Yaroslav Rakitsky, at least, was decent enough to leave immediately after the start of a full-scale war.”
Vernidub, 58, played for Zenit from 1997 to 2000 as a footballer. He later worked as a coach for Zaporizhzhya Metalurh, Zorya, Belarusian Shakhtar and Moldovan Sheriff.
In February 2022, immediately after the start of the Russian invasion, Yuriy returned to Ukraine and joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the summer of the same year, the specialist headed Kryvbas, where he still works. Following the 2023/24 season, the Kryvyi Rih team took third place in the UPL and made it to the Europa League qualification.
Rakitskiy played for Zenit from January 2019 to February 2022. On March 2 of that year, he terminated his contract with the St. Petersburg club. Subsequently, he played for Turkish Adana Demirspor and Shakhtar Donetsk (2023-2024), of which he was a product.
Tymoshchuk, also a former Shakhtar footballer, played for Zenit in 2007-2009 and 2013-2015. Since March 2017 and to this day, Anatoliy, a native of Lutsk, has been working on the coaching staff of the St. Petersburg club. Tymoshchuk played a record 144 matches for the Ukrainian national team (the record was later abolished due to Anatoliy’s exclusion from the official register of national team players).
In March 2022, the UAF Disciplinary Committee banned Tymoshchuk for life from carrying out any football-related activities in Ukraine. The former footballer was also stripped of all titles of winner and silver medalist of the Ukrainian Championship, Ukrainian Cup, and Ukrainian Super Cup. Tymoshchuk appealed the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee, but the UAF Appeals Committee rejected the complaint in full.
Tymoshchuk was also subject to sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. The sanctions include blocking assets of individuals on the territory of Ukraine, restricting trade operations, and banning entry into Ukraine.
In the early morning hours of February 24, 2022, Russia launched a missile attack and aerial bombardment on most Ukrainian cities, and then launched a full-scale military invasion. The war against Russia is now in its 884th day.
Source: Sportarena
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