Andrii Kravchuk will train for Manchester City.© AFP
Ukraine Under-21 international Andrii Kravchuk will train with Premier League champions Manchester City after traveling to Britain as a refugee. Kravchuk terminated his contract with Russian Torpedo Moscow and fled to Manchester after the Russian invasion of his homeland. City have received approval from the Interior Ministry and football authorities to allow Kravchuk to work with their under-23 squad for the remainder of the season. FIFA has allowed foreign players in Russia and Ukraine to temporarily suspend their contracts to move elsewhere.
However, the Premier League has not allowed such players to sign up for first-team action until the end of the season.
The arrangement was set up by Ukrainian international Oleksandr Zinchenko, a childhood friend of Kravchuk, as both were in Shakhtar Donetsk academy.
Kravchuk first came into contact with City on Thursday.
“I am so grateful to Manchester City for giving me this opportunity to train with them,” said the 23-year-old.
“The past few weeks and months have been so difficult, but to be back on the field means so much to me.”
Kravchuk was at a training camp in Turkey with Torpedo Moscow when the war broke out.
“There were nice people around me at the club, but I played in a country that invaded my home country,” he added.
“Leaving the club was the only decision. People in Ukraine wouldn’t understand me if I kept playing there.”
Zinchenko has continued to play despite the pain of the war at home and has been boosted by displays of support from both City and opponents fans.
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“While I wish the conditions were very different, it was good to be back with Andrii today,” Zinchenko said.
“I know how much football means to him and how it can help us in these difficult times. I want to thank my club for giving him the opportunity to train with us.”
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