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Oleksandr Zinchenko wears the Arsenal captain’s armband against Leicester on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine… in a gesture suggested by Gunners captain Martin Odegaard.
- Oleksandr Zinchenko wears the Arsenal captain’s armband against Leicester
- The Ukrainian receives the captaincy on the first anniversary of the conflict in his country
- The gesture was the idea of regular Gunners skipper Martin Odegaard.
Oleksandr Zinchenko wore the Arsenal captain’s armband at Leicester City today as a mark of respect on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine.
The decision to hand over the bracelet to the defender came at the suggestion of regular skipper Martin Odegaard, who handed over the captaincy for today’s clash.
A year ago, Zinchenko, then of Manchester City, could be seen crying on the substitute bench as City’s opponents Everton and the fans at Goodison Park showed their support for Ukraine.
Zinchenko also shared a touching moment before the match with fellow Ukrainian Vitaliy Mykolenko, and the two embraced before kick-off.
The 26-year-old has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Russian invasion of his homeland, speaking 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
“All Ukrainians want one thing: to stop this war.” Zinchenko said last summer.
“I talked to people from different countries, from all over the world and I talked to some Ukrainian children who just don’t understand what is happening in Ukraine. They just want the war to stop. They have a dream to stop the war.
Zinchenko has 52 caps for Ukraine, scored eight goals and became the youngest captain in the country’s history when he wore the armband against France in March 2021.
He moved to the Gunners last summer in a £30m deal and has played a key role in Mikel Arteta’s side’s rise to the top of the Premier League table.
Zinchenko has 52 caps for his country and has previously spoken out about the war in his country.