Oleksandr Zinchenko wears Arsenal captain’s armband against Leicester on the first anniversary of the Ukraine war… in a gesture suggested by Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard
- Oleksandr Zinchenko wears the captain’s armband for Arsenal against Leicester
- The Ukrainian becomes captain on the first anniversary of the conflict in his country
- The gesture was the idea of Martin Odegaard, the Gunners’ regular skipper
Oleksandr Zinchenko wore the Arsenal captain’s armband today at Leicester City as a mark of respect on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine.
The decision to give the defender the armband came at the suggestion of regular captain Martin Odegaard, who handed over the captain’s armband for today’s match.
A year ago, Zinchenko, then of Manchester City, sat on the substitute bench in tears as City’s opponents Everton and Goodison Park fans showed their support for Ukraine.
Zinchenko also shared a poignant pre-match moment with compatriot Vitaliy Mykolenko, with the pair embracing with a hug before kick-off.
The 26-year-old is one of the most outspoken opponents of the Russian invasion of his homeland and has spoken out about the terrifying situation in his country.
Oleksandr Zinchenko was given the captain’s armband at the suggestion of Martin Odegaard
Zinchencko led the Gunners team on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine
“Every Ukrainian wants only one thing: to stop this war.” Zinchenko said last summer.
“I spoke to people from different countries, all over the world and I spoke to some Ukrainian children who just don’t understand what is happening in Ukraine. They just want the war to stop. They have one dream to stop the war.’
Zinchenko has 52 caps for Ukraine, scoring eight goals and becoming the country’s youngest-ever captain when he wore the armband against France in March 2021.
He moved to the Gunners in a £30 million deal last summer and played a key role in Mikel Arteta’s side’s rise to the top of the Premier League.
Zinchenko has 52 caps for his country and has previously spoken out about the war in his country
